S.  fO .  o^. 


^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


Presented    byVv-o^~IBrS.VM(:7xX^-^Ae.  \cX3)3) 


THE    CREED    OF   CHRIST 


THE  CREED  OF 
CHRIST 

A  Study  in  the  Gospels 

'By  / 

Rev.  Richard  Venable  Lancaster 


ft? 


RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA 

The  Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication 


Copyrighted 

BY 

R.  E.  MAGILL,  Secretary  of  Publication, 
1905. 


The  quotations  and  footnotes  in  this  book  taken  from  the 
American  Standard  Revised  Bible,  copyright  1901,  by 
Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  are  used  by  permission  of  the  pub- 
lishers. 


Printeh  by 

Whittet  &  Shepperson, 

Richmond,  Va. 


TO  THE  MEMORY 

OF 

/iDp  /iDotber, 

WHO,   BEING  A  WIDOW, 

FILLED  A  mother's  AND  A  FATHER'S  PLACE 

TO  ME. 


PREFACE. 

The  Chinese  have  a  beautiful  custom.  On 
their  mountain  roads,  at  important  turns  in  the 
way,  or  near  the  hardest  places,  they  erect 
shelters  of  rest,  where  the  weary  traveller  may 
enjoy  the  prospect  and  refresh  himself  for 
climbing  still  further  upward. 

Something  like  this  is  my  justification  for 
sending  forth  this  little  book.  It  is  not  claimed 
that  a  new  Christ  is  here  set  forth,  or  that 
startlingly  new  truths  have  been  discovered 
concerning  the  Christ  already  known.  The 
claim  is  simply  that  at  a  turn  in  the  arduous 
way  I  have  caught  a  glimpse  of  Jesus  from 
what,  to  me,  is  a  fresh  viewpoint.  And  on 
the  spot  I  set  up  this  wayside  shrine,  that 
others,  also,  in  passing  may  look  and  see  and 
be  refreshed. 

I  pray  God  that  this  view  of  Christ  may  be  a 


4  Contents. 

real  help  to  many  a  weary  traveller,  and  that, 
seeing  him  afresh,  there  may  spring  up  in  their 
hearts  a  fresh  love  for  him — a  love  which  shall 
grow  until  they  love  him  better  than  they  love 
anything  else  in  the  world. 

R.  V.  Lancaster. 

Abingdon,  Va.,  July,  1905. 


CONTENTS. 

INTEODUCTION. 

I.  Page. 

Creeds^    9 

II. 

The  Human  Mind  in  Religious  Study^ 11 

III. 
Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ  ? 14 

THE  CREED. 

I. 

The  Scriptures^  25 

II. 
God,   44 

III. 
Satan^ 58 

IV. 
Sin,    68 


6  Contents. 

V.  Page. 

Punishment  for  Sin^    78 

VI. 
Himself^ 92 

VII. 
Eedeemed  Men^ 109 

VIII. 
The  Kingdom, 122 

IX. 

The  Kingdom  in  the  World, 134 

X. 

The  Holy  Spirit, 152 

XI. 
The  Home-going,  167 

XII. 
The  Second  Coming, 176 

XIII. 

The  Final  Glory,  ^ 186 


INTRODUCTION. 


INTRODUCTION. 

I. 

Creeds. 

T7VERY  man  has  a  creed.  He  may  not  be 
■*^  able  to  state  it,  he  may  not  be  willing  to 
state  it,  but  he  must  believe  something,  and 
what  he  believes  will  show  out  in  his  character. 
He  adopts  the  creed,  and  the  creed  in  turn 
makes  him.  It  is  the  bony  frame  about  which 
is  builded  the  spiritual  stature  of  the  man ;  and 
the  finished  structure  of  his  moral  and  religious 
life  shows  the  curves  and  angles  of  the  creed 
on  which  that  life  is  built. 

The  creed  of  a  true  man  will  show  out  in  his 
speech.  When  such  a  man  deals  with  high 
themes  every  word  that  he  sends  forth  is  chosen 
because  it  is  fit  to  carry  to  men  the  faith  that 
lives  in  his  heart.  His  creed  may  not  be  a 
perfect  one,  it  may  not  be  a  religious  one,  but 


lo  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

if  he  believes  it,  his  system  of  belief  will  in- 
evitably manifest  itself. 

Nor  is  it  a  hard  task  to  gather  out  of  the 
lives  and  words  of  men  a  fair  statement  of 
what  their  real  creed  is.  The  creed  that  we  thus 
construct  for  any  definite  man  may  not  accord 
with  the  creed  which  that  man  professes,  but 
the  agreement  will  be  near  in  proportion  as  the 
man  is  true. 

Assuming  that  the  divine  Christ  was  also  a 
sincere  man,  of  simple  faith,  and  that  the 
Gospels  are  a  true  record  of  his  life,  we  have  set 
ourselves  the  task  of  gathering  together  and 
stating  the  creed  about  which  was  built  that 
matchless  character,  and  under  the  guidance  of 
which  he  did  his  mighty  work  and  spoke  his 
wonderful  words. 


11. 

The  Human  Mind  in  Religious  Study. 
"How  readest  thou?" — Luke  x.  26. 

TT  is  assumed  in  this  investigation  that  the 
four  Gospels  are  a  true,  though  incomplete, 
record  of  the  life  and  words  of  Jesus  Christ. 
His  life  has  been  lived.  His  thought  has  been 
expressed.  Manifestly,  then,  nothing  that  is 
in  my  mind,  and  no  attitude  of  my  mind,  can 
change  one  accomplished  fact  or  spoken  word. 
These  are  finished  results,  and  the  mind  should 
be  used  in  studying  them  just  as  it  should  be 
used  in  studying  the  facts  in  any  department  of 
nature.  The  geologist  does  not  study  the 
structure  of  a  particular  mountain  by  simply 
recalling  the  impressions  of  his  childhood,  or 
by  searching  his  mind  to  see  how  he  thinks  a 
respectable  mountain  ought  to  be  constructed. 
He  goes  out  with  pick  and  hammer  to  uncover 
and  to  break  open  facts,  and  as  he  sees  them  he 


12  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

accepts  them.  In  such  studies  the  mind  is 
receptive;  and  even  when  the  mind  is  turned 
in  upon  itself  to  study  its  own  construction,  it 
must  view  the  phenomena  as  objective  things, 
perceiving  and  recording  what  it  sees. 

By  this  practice  since  Bacon's  time  great 
progress  has  been  made  in  the  knowledge  of 
men  and  of  things,  but  those  most  experienced 
in  the  application  of  this  principle  to  the  study 
of  nature  seem,  by  a  strange  inconsistency, 
most  wedded  to  the  opposite  plan  in  the  study 
of  religion.  They  cannot  accept  certain  re- 
vealed things  as  true,  because  they  have  an 
impression  in  their  minds  with  which  these 
things  do  not  agree !  They  will  accept  the  facts 
stored  away  or  expressed  in  the  world  of  mat- 
ter, but  they  will  not  accept  the  clearer  state- 
ments made  in  the  Book,  as  if  God  could  speak 
out  of  a  stone,  but  could  not  use  the  language 
of  men. 

If  a  man  had  skill  to  express  an  idea  in  a 
painting  or  in  a  statue,  would  it  be  any  strange 
thing  to  find  that  the  same  man  could  express 
the  same  idea,  and  even  additional  ideas,  in  a 
book  ?    And  should  not  the  book  be  studied  on 


The  Mind  in  Religious  Study.       13 

the  same  principle,  and  with  as  little  prejudice, 
as  the  statue  ?  To  cover  the  statue  of  Laocoon 
with  raiment  never  so  beautiful  and  modern 
would  certainly  obscure  the  ideas  which  the 
ancient  artist  labored  to  express.  To  inject  our 
thoughts  into  the  Gospels  is  to  obscure  their 
teaching.  To  receive  their  teaching  simply  and 
unchanged  is  to  inform  the  mind.  Let  no  man 
be  like  the  anaconda,  which  eats  nothing  until 
he  has  first  covered  it  with  his  own  saliva. 

Much  of  religious  truth  is  already  in  our 
possession.  Much  lies  about  us,  ready  to  be 
gathered  up ;  and  doubtless  much  is  travelling 
towards  us,  like  new  stars  which  burst  upon 
the  eye  of  him  who  watches  the  heavens.  Our 
duty  is  to  receive  it  as  it  is,  endeavoring  to 
understand  the  terms  of  the  grant  which  God 
has  made  to  us,  estabhsh  our  title  under  him, 
and  then  bend  every  energy  to  explore  the 
boundless  riches  of  our  new  possessions.  He 
who  exploits  a  mine  grows  rich,  not  by  what 
he  puts  in,  but  by  what  he  takes  out. 


III. 

Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ  ? 

"The  people  that  sat  in  darkness  saw  a  great  light." 
Matthew  iv.  16. 

^T^HE  creed  makes  the  man,  and  the  creed 
determines  what  the  man  will  do.  This 
man  is  great,  and  has  done  great  things. 
Doubtless  then  he  had  a  great  creed.  Like 
forms  of  belief  tend  to  produce  like  forms  of 
conduct.  Whatever  aided  in  the  development 
of  that  great  character,  and  at  the  same  time 
tends  to  develop  and  to  perpetuate  in  the  world 
a  type  of  life  like  the  life  of  Christ  is  worthy 
of  the  study  of  all  mankind.  In  him  the  people 
which  sat  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great  light. 
A  sufficient  time  has  elapsed  since  Jesus  lived 
for  us  to  judge  the  truth  of  this  statement  by 
what  has  actually  taken  place.  Some  one 
might  claim,  however,  that  what  is  good  in 
these  two  thousand  years  of  history  might  have 
come  if  Jesus  had  never  lived,  and  that  when 


Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ?     15 

so  many  forces  are  at  work,  it  is  unfair  to  refer 
to  him  as  the  source  from  which  the  bright 
spots  that  now  mark  the  face  of  the  earth  draw 
their  Hght.  But  it  happens  to  be  true  that  in 
those  places  where  Jesus  is  best  known  there 
all  blessings  most  abound,  and  the  human  mind 
is  accustomed  to  think  in  the  following  way: 
when  a  result  follows  the  presence  of  a  definite 
force,  and  when  the  result  clearly  follows  in 
proportion  as  that  force  is  clearly  present,  and 
when  that  result  does  not  appear  when  that 
force  is  absent,  then  that  force  is  the  cause  of 
that  result.  Our  purpose  is  to  show  that  Jesus 
has  been  and  is  a  great  light. 

Certainly  darkness  covered  the  earth  when 
he  was  born,  and  such  darkness  is  a  thing 
which,  undisturbed,  grows  denser.  At  that 
time — we  speak  not  of  the  year,  but  of  the 
century — Greece,  so  great  in  literature  and  art, 
yet  worshipper  of  gods  so  base  that  men  would 
have  despised  their  own  gods  had  these  gods 
been  men  (Gibbon),  had  fallen  and  become  a 
vassal  of  Rome.  Her  art  had  decayed.  Her 
worship  and  her  lust  remained.  Rome  is  still 
armed  with  power,  but  toppling  because  of  rank 


i6  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

corruption;  woman  a  chattel,  or  divorced  so 
readily  that  a  man  may  have  twenty  wives 
before  being  buried  by  a  woman  who  has  had 
twenty-one  husbands;  a  Roman  senator — the 
name  sounds  noble,  but  this  man  is  so  vile  and 
so  servile,  that  he  proposes  in  the  Senate  a  law 
that  all  Roman  homes  be  free  to  Julius  Caesar ; 
Egypt,  mighty  country  of  the  Pharaohs,  has 
for  its  last  queen  the  unclean  Cleopatra;  Gaul 
and  ncrthern  Europe  is  the  home  of  the  Druids, 
and  their  human  sacrifices ;  Scotland  furnishes 
a  race  of  naked  warriors  whom  some  call  can- 
nibals; Judea,  home  of  God's  ancient  worship, 
has  hypocrites  for  priests  and  Herod  for  a 
king;  scarcely  has  there  ever  been  a  darker 
time,  and  strange  night  was  this  for  an  exulting 
song  to  break  forth,  "Unto  us  a  child  is  born, 
and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful, 
Mighty  God,  the  Prince  of  Peace."  ^ 

How  could  that  age  produce  a  character  that 
has  been  the  despair  of  all  good  men  of  all  the 
ages  that  have  followed?  We  can  duplicate 
the  military  heroes  of  the  ancients,  or  their 
wealthy  men,  or  their  philosophers,  but  there 

»Isa.  ix.  6. 


Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ?     17 

has  been  only  one  Jesus  Christ,  and  he  is  won- 
derful. 

He  is  wonderful  in: 

1.  His  person  and  character. 

Most  of  us  feel  that  what  the  great  of  earth 
have  been  we  too  might  be  under  similar  con- 
ditions, but  before  Jesus  we  stand  abashed.  A 
babe  might  now  be  born  who,  under  the  tuition 
of  God,  could  do  the  work  of  Moses,  but  no 
man  can  be  trained  into  a  state  in  which  it 
would  be  lawful  for  him  to  say,  "Before  Abra- 
ham was  born,  I  am,"  ^  and  "when  I  am  in  the 
world,  I  am  the  light  of  the  world."  ^ 

Thoughtful  men  who  do  not  love  him  over- 
much feel  that  when  Jesus  makes  high  claims 
and  speaks  great  things,  he  speaks  but  fitly  and 
worthily.  "I  know  men,  and  I  tell  you  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  a  man"  (Napoleon).  "He 
is  the  purest  among  the  mighty,  the  mightiest 
among  the  pure"  (Richter).  None  like  him 
has  yet  appeared,  nor  shall  to  the  end  of  time. 

2.  The  Method  of  His  Work. 

As  he  was  an  unusual  being,  so  was  the 
method  of  his  work  unusual.     He  sought  not 

=  John  viii.  58.  « John  ix.  5. 


i8  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

wealth  in  order  to  be  great.*  Croesus — but  who 
is  Croesus,  and  what  was  his  country  and  his 
station  ?  He  used  not  miHtary  power  to  spread 
his  name.^  Alexander  and  Caesar  used  this, 
and  men  now  have  to  dig  into  the  earth  to  find 
vestiges  of  their  broken  empires.  Jesus  used 
the  mighty  power  of  a  heavenly  life.  His  use 
of  that  life,  his  interpretation  of  that  life,  the 
life  itself,  constitute  the  foundation  of  an  en- 
during kingdom.^ 

The  hostility  and  indifference  of  men  cannot 
stand  before  a  love  like  his.  Rome  endeavors 
to  crush  his  followers,  but  is  herself  broken  as 
she  falls  upon  that  great  foundation  stone. 
Next  come  the  Goths  and  Vandals  to  sweep 
clean  the  earth  where  Christ  is  known.  They 
make  a  mistake  in  saving  some  alive.  Ulfilas, 
a  slave  child,  is  born  in  the  land  of  the  Goths, 
and  by  knowing  Jesus  becomes  the  regenerator 
of  the  nation  that  enslaves  him.  The  Scrip- 
tures which  he  translated  into  the  tongue  of 
that  mighty  people  are  now  our  best  means  of 
knowing  how  they  spoke,  and  the  religion  of 
Jesus  has  changed  the  land  of  the  Goths  into 

*  Matt.  iv.  9.  "^  John  xviii.  36.  "  John  xii.  32. 


Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ?     19 

modern  Germany.  The  Mohammedans,  mighty 
apostles  of  fire  and  sword,  turned  back  for  the 
first  time  before  men  who  worshipped  Jesus. 

A  still  more  dangerous  obstacle  arises.  Un- 
faithful friends  forget  his  teaching,  and  for 
policy's  sake  take  on  heathen  forms  and  cus- 
toms. Saints  made  like  the  Roman  gods,  and 
angels,  are  worshipped  more  than  he.  It  is 
very  dark  again,  but  the  light,  though  covered, 
is  not  extinguished,  and  presently  it  flashes  out 
once  more  in  Reformation  days.  A  strange 
method  of  work  is  his,  but  it  counts. 

3.  The  Results. 

Take  the  world  as  it  is  to-day.  The  Chris- 
tian countries  are  the  bright  spots,  and  those 
are  brightest  where  most  is  made  of  Jesus,  and 
his  truth  is  held  in  purest  form.  No  nation  is 
looking  up  unless  it  has  come  in  contact  with 
him,  or  has  been  touched  by  those  who  do 
honor  him.  Search  the  islands  and  the  conti- 
nents, and  see  if  I  sp^ak  not  the  simple  truth. 

Nor  is  this  mere  twentieth  century  progress, 
though  the  century  be  reckoned  from  him. 
Contact  with  trade  and  power  and  wealth  does 
not   elevate.      The   slave  trade,   the   whiskey 


20  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

trade,  the  ivory  trade,  the  opium  trade,  the 
trade  in  implements  of  war,  have  helped  none. 
The  Bible  which  Henry  M.  Stanley  left  with 
King  Mtesa,  accomplished  more  than  every 
godless  trader  that  ever  put  his  foot  upon  the 
dark  continent.  That  Bible  enabled  men  to  see 
the  great  light,  the  light  which  lightens  the 
nations,  and  is  the  glory  of  his  people.^  Jesus 
has  made  the  modern  world,  and  the  things 
which  he  has  done,  the  impression  he  has  made, 
are  proofs  of  his  divine  commission. 

A  pleasing  reflection  may  be  thrown  into  the 
form  of  a  question.  If  an  imperfect  perception 
of  his  truth,  and  a  half-hearted  following  of 
Jesus  have  accomplished  for  men  these  won- 
derful results,  what  may  we  not  expect  when 
men  see  clearly,  and  follow  him  with  all  their 
hearts?  ''Of  the  increase  of  his  government 
and  of  peace  there  shall  be  no  end."  ^ 

Because  of  what  he  is,  because  of  what  he 
has  done,  because  of  what  he  yet  will  do,  we 
should  study  the  faith  that  moved  him,  and  the 
purposes  that  filled  his  heart.  He  is  great 
enough  to  be  my  Lord.    He  is  kind  and  humble 

^Luke  ii.  32.  ^  Isa.  ix.  7. 


Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ?     21 

enough  to  be  my  brother.  When  I  make  his 
creed  my  own,  and  that  creed  by  hving  in  my 
heart,  has  reformed  my  soul,  I  shall  be  like 
him. 


THE  CREED  OF  CHRIST. 


THE  CREED  OF  CHRIST. 
I. 

The  Scriptures. 

"Whence  then  hath  this  man  all  these  things?" — Matt. 
xiii.  56. 

"And  he  began  to  say  unto  them,  To-day  hath  this 
scripture  been  fulfilled  in  your  ears." — Luke  iv.  21. 

A  CCORDING  to  the  Apostle  Paul,  three 
-^  ^  sources  of  religious  knowledge  are  open 
to  ordinary  men:  the  works  of  nature/  the 
moral  constitution  of  man,^  and  the  sacred 
Scriptures.^  These  fountains  feed  alike  the 
high  and  the  low.  They  have  given  to  all  men, 
and  they  gave  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  measure 
that  they  fill  for  a  man  is  the  measure  that  he 
brings.^  To  Christ  they  gave  abundantly,  and 
to  him  no  one  of  these  fountains  was  closed. 

Over  us  indeed  he  had  two  advantages,  a 
clearer  eye,  and  a  higher  view-point;  yet  he, 
like  any  other  man,  could  look  upon  the  lilies 

^  Rom.  i.  20.  ^  Rom.  fi.  15.  '  Rom.  ill.  2. 

*Matt.  vi.   22,   23. 


26  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

and  the  birds,  and  see  his  Father's  hand  at  work 
among  them.'^  He  could  turn  his  thought  to 
the  constitution  of  his  own  mind  and  heart,  and 
see  all  that  we  see  of  the  divine  law.  And 
much  more  could  he  see,  for  his  self-conscious- 
ness went  back  and  took  hold  of  things  that 
he  had  seen  and  known  and  heard  of  the 
Father.^  Nor  was  this  his  only  peculiarity. 
High  though  his  station  was  —  nay,  because 
his  station  was  so  high ;  clear  though  his  vision 
was  —  nay,  because  his  vision  was  so  clear,  one 
fact  stands  out  that  makes  him  a  man  of  dif- 
ferent faith  from  us.  Mark  that  fact.  Neither 
in  nature,  nor  in  himself  did  he  ever  find  a 
truth  at  variance  with  the  Scriptures  of  God. 
The  three  open  volumes  told  to  him  the  story 
of  a  common  Author  and  Ruler,  who,  being 
good  and  filled  with  knowledge,  made  every 
statement  in  each  book  in  view  of  what  was 
written  in  the  other  two.  The  foregoing  state- 
ments may  be  established  in  the  following  way. 
God  makes  the  lilies  grow."^  God  abode  in 
Jesus.^     God  speaks  in  the  Scriptures.^     Now 

'Matt.  vii.  26-28.  '  Comp.  John  viii.  38;   iii.  32. 

'  Matt.  vi.  28-30.        *  John  xiv.  10.        »  Mark  xii.  26,  36. 


The  Scriptures.  27 

God  is  consistent,  "li  God  so  clothe  the  grass 
of  the  field,  shall  he  not  much  more  clothe 
you?"^^  Small  wonder  is  it,  then,  that  of 
men  that  have  been  born,  no  one  has  ever 
equalled  him  in  large-hearted  loyalty  to  these 
sacred  books.^^ 

His  Bible,  of  course,  was  our  Old  Testament, 
for  he  quotes  from  every  part  into  which  the 
books  were  classed  by  the  Jews  of  his  time,  and 
since  his  day  both  Jew  and  Christian  have 
guarded  them  against  corruption.^ ^  The  man 
Jesus  was  brought  up  in  a  very  humble  home, 
and  we  do  not  know  what  access  he  had  to  the 
Scriptures  of  God.  Possibly  the  most  revered 
treasure  of  the  house  was  the  sacred  lolls  of  the 
Book.  Possibly  he  attended  the  synagogue 
school.  But  even  if  such  opportunities  were 
denied  him  we  know  that,  whether  from  the 
lips  of  his  mother,  or  from  public  inscriptions, 
or  from  the  copies  stored  in  the  synagogue, 
somehow  he  studied  at  an  early  age,^^  and  with 
rare  success,  the  written  Word,  and  stored  his 
memory  so  well  that  he  could  quote  the  text 

^"Matt.  vi.  30.  "Matt.  iv.  4;  xxvi.  54;  John  x.  35. 

^  Luke  xxiv.  44  (and  quotations.)  '^  Luke  ii.  47. 


28  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

at  will.^^  And  so  skillful  was  he  and  ready 
that  life-long  students  of  the  written  Word 
were  baffled  by  the  aptness  of  the  quotations 
which  he  made.^^ 

Nor  ought  this  picture  of  the  Son  of  man 
bending  his  mind  and  heart  upon  the  words  of 
the  holy  Law  to  surprise  us.  The  Bible  meant 
a  great  deal  to  him.  We  know  how  different 
the  page  shines  one  day  from  what  it  does  on 
another.  For  him  it  shone  more  bristly  every 
day  than  it  shines  for  us  on  the  best  of  the  days. 
He  loved  the  Scriptures,  and  the  light  which 
they  gave  back  as  he  gazed  upon  them  must 
have  been  entrancing.^ ^  Nor  was  it  a  mere 
feast  of  the  heart,  his  mind  was  enlarged  to 
grasp  the  soul  of  every  word,^^  and  type,^^  and 
figure.^^  Certain  it  is  that  he  saw  deeper  than 
the  people  of  his  day  ever  did.  ''Ye  have 
heard."  .  .  .  "But  I  say."  ^o  The  teachers 
of  his  time  saw  a  law  of  external  observances, 
touching  only  the  outward  man.  Jesus  saw  a 
law  that  reached  to  the  innermost  springs  of 

"Matt.  iv.  1-10  (and  numerous  other  places). 

"  Mark  xii.  34 ;  Luke  xx.  40.  ^^  John  v.  39 ;  Luke  xxiv.  27. 

"John  x.  36.        "John  i.  51;  iii.  14.        "Matt.  v.  3-10. 

^^'Matt.  V.  21-43;  Luke  v.  1-10. 


The  Scriptures.  29 

thought  and  action.^^  The  people  of  his  day, 
confused  by  the  composite  picture  of  the  Mes- 
siah's kingdom,  and  led  by  natural  impulses  to 
seek  money  and  place  and  worldly  profit,  were 
looking  for  a  king  Who  would  bring  all  these 
things  to  them.^^  He,  like  John  in  the  Revela- 
tion, looked,  and  instead  of  a  lion  saw  a  lamb, 
whose  gift  was  his  life,  and  whose  glory  was  a 
crown  of  thorns.^^  Other  men  could  find  no 
proof  of  man's  immortality  in  these  pages. 
Instantly  he  points  to  one  passage  whose  deeper 
meaning  embraces  that  great  truth.^* 

Even  his  own  followers  were  no  better. 
They  at  the  very  last  did  not  understand,  could 
not  understand,  why  shame  and  death  should 
come  to  him  they  loved,^^  and  one  of  the  ten- 
derest  services  which  he  rendered  to  them  at 
the  end  of  his  life  is  described  in  these  words, 
''Then  opened  he  their  mind,  that  they  might 
understand  the  Scriptures."  ^^  Never  was 
there  a  sharper  contrast  than  between  Jesus 
and  all  the  men  of  his  day.  The  teachers,  the 
people,    his    own    followers    were    hopelessly 

2^  Matt.  V.  28;  Mark  vii.  15.  ^^  John  vi.  15.  ''  Matt.  xx.  28. 

2*  Matt.  xxii.  23-32.  '=  Matt.  xvi.  22;  Luke  xxiv.  21. 

"  Luke  xxiv.  45. 


30  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

bound  by  the  idea  of  self-interest.  The  priests 
must  hold  their  place  at  all  hazard. ^^  The 
people  will  have  no  Messiah  who  will  not  be  a 
worldly  king.^^  The  apostles  wish  to  have  the 
chief  positions  in  his  kingdom.^^  Jesus  sees, 
sees  in  the  same  pages  that  are  open  to  them, 
the  divine  vision  of  a  spiritual  kingdom,^^ 
in  which  money  is  not  the  standard  of  value,^^ 
and  in  which  the  only  highway  to  glory  is  the 
way  of  unselfish  service.^^ 

The  chief  point  of  interest,  however,  is  not 
what  he  knew  about  the  Scriptures,  for  a  man 
may  study  them  for  a  multitude  of  reasons,  but 
how  that  knowledge  affected  his  life.  In  what 
attitude  did  he  stand  to  the  writings  and  to 
their  contents? 

I.  As  to  the  writings  themselves,  v/e  note — 
(i)  He  defended  their  authority.  The 
formalists  of  his  day  had  accepted  traditionary 
rules  of  conduct,  and  substituted  them  for  the 
plain  commands  that  had  been  written.^^  They 
had  also  passed  current  among  themselves  cer- 

"  John  xi.  48.  ^*  John  vi.  15,  66.  "  Mark  ix.  34. 

3°  John  xviii.  36.  «'  Luke  xii.  15.  ''  Matt.  xx.  26. 

3' Mark  vii.  8. 


The  Scriptures.  31 

tain  traditionary  methods  of  interpretation  that 
robbed  the  truth  of  half  its  power.^^  Jesus, 
the  simplest  mannered  man,  rebuked  with 
burning  zeal  the  punctilious  tither  of  mint,^^ 
as  well  as  the  ones  who  had  made  void  the 
commands  of  God  through  their  tradition.^^ 
The  laying  of  extra  burdens  on  men  whom  God 
had  made  to  be  free,^^  the  warping  of  the  sense 
of  the  law  so  as  to  excuse  current  practices,^^ 
the  emphasizing  of  outward  forms  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  spiritual  graces  which  the  Scrip- 
tures enjoin,^^  all  these  things  are  absolutely 
condemned  by  him. 

The  rationalists  of  his  day  believed  in  the 
present  order  of  affairs,  could  find  no  room  in  a 
material  world  for  the  supernatural.^^  Angel 
and  spirit  and  the  future  life  were  myths  of 
less  enlightened  times.  While  they  claimed 
against  the  formalists  to  honor  the  Scriptures,*^ 
yet,  since  the  Scriptures  were  full  of  stories 
that  ran  counter  to  their  beliefs,*^  of  course 
they  must  be  allowed  to  select  for  obedience 

»*  Matt,  xxiii.  16-22.  ''  Matt,  xxiii.  23,  24.  ^'  Matt.  xv.  6,  7. 

"  Matt,  xxiif.  4.    ^«  Mark  vii.  10-13.    »*  Matt,  xxiii.  25,  26. 

**Matt.  xxii.  23;  Acts  xxiif.  8. 


32  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

only  the  portions  that  were  agreeable  to  the 
wisdom  of  advanced  thought.  Jesus,  the  hum- 
blest minded  of  men,  found  in  the  same  Scrip- 
tures that  were  open  to  them  God  and  Spirit 
and  eternal  life.^^  To  him  the  miracles  of  the 
Old  Testament  presented  no  difficulties.  He 
believed  the  wondrous  stories,*^  and  with  two 
words  he  laid  bare  the  sources  of  all  intellectual 
difficulties  which  proud  minded  men  ever  find 
in  the  Bible,  (a)  Either  we  do  not  understand 
the  Scriptures,  or  understanding  them,  (&)  we 
doubt  the  power  of  God.  *Ts  it  not  for  this 
cause  that  ye  err,  that  ye  know  not  the  Scrip- 
tures, nor  the  power  of  God?"  *^ 

(2)  He  accepts  these  Scriptures  as  a  suffi- 
cient rule  of  conduct.  Twice  he  gives  the 
great  moral  law,  or  its  summary,  as  that  which 
if  a  man  do,  he  shall  enter  the  life  of  God,^^ 
and  when  the  amiable  young  man,  with  simple 
frankness,  claimed  to  have  kept  that  law  and 
yet  to  be  lacking,  Jesus  placed  upon  him  a 
command  ^^  which  in  one  moment  showed  him 

*^Josephus'  Antiquities,  Bk.  xiii.,  Chap,  x.,   §  6. 
*2Matt.  xxli.  23-32.  *' Matt.  x.  15;  xii.  40.  **  Mark  xii.  24. 
«Matt.  xfx.  16-19;  Luke  x.  25-28.        "Matt.  xix.  21,  22. 


The  Scriptures.  33 

to  be  ignorant  of  what  that  law  really  taught 
when  it  said,  ''Thou  shalt  not  covet."  *^  Thus 
to  men  under  the  law  he  said,  ''Keep  the  law 
and  you  shall  live."  No  precept  does  he  re- 
peal.^* The  cry,  "Repent,"  ^^  simply  means, 
come  back  to  the  standard  which  God  has  set 
up.  The  law  is  broken,  come  back  and  make 
amends.  His  great  work  was  simply  to  help 
the  man  who  had  broken  that  perfect  rule,  and 
had  no  way  to  mend  it.^^ 

(3)  He  defended  the  integrity  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. Jesus  was  not  a  scholar  in  the  modern 
sense,  but  he  knew  a  world  more  about  the 
Word  of  God  and  the  days  of  its  writing  than 
those  who  were  doctors  then,  or  are  doctors 
now,  and  he  committed  himself  to  the  belief 
that  Moses  and  David  and  Isaiah  and  all  the 
prophets  produced  the  books  that  are  accredited 
to  them.  Sometimes  quotations  are  made  in 
such  a  way  as  not  necessarily  to  imply  this. 
But  the  references  to  Moses  in  John  v.  45-47, 
and  to  David  in  Luke  xx.  41-44  gain  their 
whole  force  from  the  personal  relation  of  these 

*'  Exod.  XX.  17.  *«  Matt.  v.  17.  "  Matt.  iv.  17. 

'^OLuke  vii.   41-50. 


34  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

two  men  to  the  writings  in  question.  The 
reference  to  Isaiah  is  distinctly  personal  in 
Mark  vii.  6.  His  treatment  of  the  other 
prophets  is  implied  in  Luke  xxiv.  27. 

Further  still,  there  seems  no  doubt  that  in 
the  view  of  this  man  the  Scriptures  of  God 
were  not  only  in  their  teaching,  but  in  the 
record  of  that  teaching,  without  error.  Please 
consider  whether  a  true  man  could  possibly 
have  spoken  as  he  did  if  this  had  not  been  his 
belief.  To  say  that  the  smallest  Hebrew  letter 
{jot),  or  distinguis'hing  mark  of  a  letter 
{tittle), ^'^  must  stand  as  firm  as  the  solid  earth 
or  arching  "heavens,  to  base  substantial  argu- 
ments upon  the  use  of  single  words,  emphasiz- 
ing \^^en  he  does  it  that  the  Scripture  cannot 
be  broken  ^^  —  to  say  that  a  man  spake  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,^^  to  refer  to  the  Scriptures  as  a 
court  of  final  appeal,^*  as  he  so  often  did,  could 
any  man  have  so  used  these  Scriptures  if  he 
had  believed  them  partly  true  and  partly  false, 
or  if  he  had  believed  that  God's  truth  was  not 
the  Scriptures,  but  only  contained  somewhere 

^^  Matt.  V.  18.  ^^  John  x.  35.  "  Mark  xii.  36. 

"Matt.  xxi.  13;  John  vi.  45. 


The  Scriptures.  35 

within  the  Scriptures,  with  no  means  of  our 
determining  where? 

2.  There  is  a  difference  still  between  what 
men  believe  and  how  men  believe.  Did  this 
belief  in  the  authority  and  faultless  perfection 
of  Scripture  affect  practically  his  life?  Three 
ways  appear. 

(i)  He  consistently  grounded  his  teaching 
in  these  Scriptures.  Knowing  much  unknown 
on  earth  before,^'  and  conscious  of  his  hig'h 
place  among  the  messengers  of  God  to  men,^^ 
he  still  showed  the  utmost  regard  for  every 
prophet  that  had  gone  before,  and  declared  that 
he  came  to  pull  down  no  slightest  stone  which 
they  had  placed  in  God's  great  temple.^"^  His 
work  was  to  complete  what  they  had  begun. 
They  in  dim  light  had  drawn  an  outline  picture. 
He,  with  all  necessary  skill  and  the  light  of  a 
perfect  knowledge,  had  come  to  fill  that  outline 
up,  and  make  it  the  noblest,  the  clearest,  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  God's  works.  In  this 
sense  he  would  fulfil  wTiat  they  had  done.^^ 
The  whole  of  the  Gospels  is  an  illustration  of 

•'Matt.  xi.  27;  John  xv.  22.  ^*  Matt.  xii.  41,  42. 

"  Matt.  V.  19.  "  Matt.  v.  17. 


36  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

this  building  on  the  work  already  done  by  lesser 
hands,  for  besides  the  scriptural  coloring  and 
images  and  illustrations  with  which  his  teach- 
ing abounds,  it  will  readily  occur  to  the  Bible 
student  that  in  such  cases  as  his  synagogue 
sermon,^^  his  teaching  as  to  the  permanence  of 
the  marriage  tie,^^  his  showing  how  the  men 
led  of  God  would  come  to  him,^^  his  tracing 
through  the  whole  Scripture  the  things  con- 
cerning himself,^^  —  we  have  proofs  of  two 
habits  of  thought. 

(a)  He  often  founded  upon-  a  Scripture 
statement  some  stately  edifice  of  apparently 
new  truth. 

(b)  He  appealed  to  the  Scriptures  as  suffi- 
cient proof  of  his  statements,  and  did  so  in  the 
spirit  of  one  who  thought  that  no  better  proof 
could  ever  be  found. 

(2)  He  takes  the  Scriptures  as  the  rule  of 
his  life.  This  will  appear  from  the  following 
circumstances.  At  the  time  of  his  temptation 
there  were  a  number  of  considerations  that 
would  have  led  an  ordinary  man  to  yield  to  the 

*»Luke  iv.  17-21.  <«>  Mark  x.  5-9.  «^  John  vi.  45. 

"^Luke  xxiv.  27. 


The  Scriptures.  37 

suggestions  made  by  the  devil.  All  his  physi- 
cal nature  was  certainly  on  the  side  of  his 
obtaining  food,  and  that  in  haste.  The  devil 
had  shown  to  him  an  easy  and  a  ready  way  to 
supply  his  wants.  Jesus  undertook  to  advance 
a  reason  which  would  silence  the  devil  by  show- 
ing that  it  was  forever  impossible  for  him,  an 
obedient  son,  to  take  the  course  suggested. 
The  reason  given  was  that  across  that  way  the 
finger  of  God  had  written,  'Thou  shalt  not."  ^^ 
The  high-handed  and  revolutionary  measure  of 
cleansing  the  temple  he  justifies  by  an  appeal 
to  these  same  Scriptures,^*  and  to  them  he 
appeals  to  show  that  his  entering  into  social 
intercourse  with  publicans  and  sinners  was 
right  ;^^  that  for  him  to  receive  the  hosannas 
of  the  children,^^  and  for  his  people  to  do 
necessary  labor  upon  the  Sabbath,^''  were  not 
sinful.  But  most  striking  of  all  perhaps  is  the 
self-restraint  which  he  showed  at  the  time  of 
his  arrest.  The  dark  way,  with  its  desertion 
and  pain,  bad  been  revealed  to  him  through  the 
study  of  the  prophets.^^      His  disciples  know 

"Matt.  iv.  3,  4.  "Matt.  xxi.  13.  «=*  Matt.  ix.  13. 

«« Matt.  xxi.  16.  "  Luke  vi.  3.  **  Luke  xxiv.  44. 


38  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

not  the  end,  and  urge  him  to  turn  back  from  a 
way  that  seems  so  hard.^^  With  what  amaz- 
ing calmness  does  he  assert  that  he  could  pray 
and  his  Father  would  at  once  give  him  the 
army  of  heaven  to  defend  and  keep  him  safe  f^ 
but  he  adds,  "How  then  should  the  Scripture 
be  fulfilled  ?"  "^^  With  power  to  flee,  yet 
bound  by  a  high  purpose,  and  by  loyalty  to 
God's  revealed  will !  '^^  How  mudh  further 
could  devotion  go?  It  is  not  intended  that 
the  Scriptures  held  him  as  they  hold  a  common 
man  whose  will  is  contrary  to  the  commands, 
but  it  is  held  that  Jesus,  our  Saviour,  lived  in 
full  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  transgressing 
their  teaching  in  nothing,"^^  and  leaving  undone 
no  duty  which  they  require/'*  A  perfect  man, 
accorded  with  a  perfect  law,  and  freely  walked 
in  its  light. 

(3)  He  found  in  the  Scriptures  the  ideal  life, 
and  followed  it.  Early  he  came  to  the  study 
of  God's  Word  with  the  conviction  that  the 
Word  spoke  of  him,  and  showed  the  way  of  his 
going.      '1  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he,"  the 

«•  Matt.  xvr.  22.  "°  Matt.  xxvi.  53.  "  Matt.  xxvi.  54. 
"John  X.  18.    '3  John  viii.  46.   ^*  Matt.  iii.  15;  xvii.  24-27. 


The  Scriptures.  39 

Messiah J^  And  who  is  that?  Where  does 
one  learn  of  him  ?  It  is  all  written  in  the  law 
of  Moses  and  in  the  prophets  and  in  the 
Psalms.^*  Can  we  conceive  the  rapture  with 
which  a  man  would  dwell  upon  those  glowing 
pages,  while  the  angel  of  a  deep  conviction 
constantly  whispered,  ''These  are  they  which 
bear  witness  of  thee  ?"  '^^  It  was  thus  he  read, 
and  in  the  reading  saw  himself,  and  followed 
whithersoever  the  vision  led.  Then  in  the 
synagogue  at  Nazareth,''"''  when  the  people  are 
wondering  what  great  thing  their  townsman  is 
growing  to  be,  he  takes  in  his  hand  the 
prophecy  of  Isaiah,  reads  in  a  way  quite  strange 
to  them  that  great  passage  about  the  burden- 
bearer,  the  preacher,  the  liberator.  His  heart 
swells  before  the  grand  picture  of  what  his  life 
will  be,  and  as  the  people  fasten  their  eyes  upon 
him  he  exclaims,  "To-day  hath  this  Scripture 
been  fulfilled  in  your  ears."  From  these  be- 
ginnings he  passed  on  and  on,  the  Messiah  con- 
ception resting  upon  him  at  once  as  a  burden  "^^ 
and  as  an  inspiration.'^^      With  conscious  pur- 

"John  iv.  26.  ^*=  John  v.  39.  "Luke  iv.  16-21. 

^«  Luke  xii.  50.  '"  John  xii.  23. 


40  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

pose  he  speaks  to  the  people  in  parables  f^  with 
a  like  conscious  purpose  he  plans  the  triumphal 
entry  into  Jerusalem.^^  On  and  on,  ne\^er  for 
a  moment  losing  sight  of  what  it  behooved  this 
Messiah  to  do  or  say.^^  He  measured  even 
his  expectations  from  friends  ^^  and  enemies  ^* 
by  what  the  prophets  had  spoken,  for  he  could 
trace  his  footsteps  everyv/here,  learning  from 
Moses  and  all  the  prophets  the  things  concern- 
ing himself  —  the  Christ  —  ought  he  not  ?  ^^ 
His  heart  would  burn  as  truly  as  the  hearts  of 
those  who  heard  him,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that 
he  who  found  so  much  in  these  Scriptures  loved 
them  with  an  absorbing  passion.  In  the  most 
intimate  of  all  relations,  v/hen  in  prayer  he 
would  speak  the  things  of  his  heart  to  the  heart 
of  God,  he  quoted  them.^^  And  even  at  the 
very  end,  when  after  being  in  exile  so  long,  and 
was  now  returning  home,  he  found  his  mother- 
tongue,  and  yielded  up  his  spirit  into  his  Fa- 
ther's hand  with  a  word  taken  from  among  the 
words  that  his  own  spirit  had  given  to  the 
world.^^ 

*<*  Matt.  xiii.  10-15.  «^  Matt.  xxi.  1-11.  «-  John  iv.  34. 
*^Matt.  xxvf.  31.  **Mark  ix.  12.  ^' Luke  xxiv.  26,  27. 
**John  xvii.  12;   Matt,  xxvii.  46.  *' Luke  xxiii.  46. 


The  Scriptures.  41 

To  make  an  estimate  of  what  these  Scrip- 
tures really  were  to  him  is  perhaps  impossible 
for  us ;  to  possess  a  mind  that  stumbles  not  at 
any  of  the  teachings,  and  a  heart  that  rebels  not 
at  any  of  the  commands,  is  the  perfection  of 
Jesus.  The  best  that  we  can  do  is  to  bow 
humbly  before  the  teachings  that  seem  hard, 
waiting  patiently  till  our  minds  have  time  to 
grow.  Meanwhile  we  may  so  fill  our  hearts 
with  the  ideals  of  life  that  the  Scriptures  give, 
and  the  gracious  promises  that  in  them  are 
made,  that  our  service  shall  be  in  full  view  of 
what  they  teach,  and  we  too  be  able  to  feel  that 
this  duty  has  come  to  me,  or  this  joy  has  filled 
my  heart,  because  it  is  so  written  concerning 
me,^^  his  child,  and  the  Scripture  cannot  be 
broken. ^^  With  the  Scriptures  concerning 
Jesus,  added  to  the  Scriptures  wdiich  he  had 
and  loved,  we  are  rich  indeed  —  rich  in  light, 
and  in  the  countless  possibilities  of  the  ideal, 
joyous  life  which  opens  to  our  view.  The  rea- 
son for  our  poverty  lies  in  our  wilful  ignorance 
of  what  the  Scriptures  teach,  or  in  our  unbelief 
of  that  portion  of  the  teachings  which  to  our 

«»Matt.  xxvi.  24;  Luke  xviii.  31.  «^  John  x.  35. 


42  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

minds  seems  clear.     Jesus  understood  and  be- 
lieved his  Bible;   we  do  not. 

Scholium. — The  attitude  of  the  divine  Christ 
toward  the  Old  Testament  must  settle  the  atti- 
tude of  every  regenerate  man  toward  that 
Book.  Suppose  it  be  proved  that  some  of  the 
incidents  and  teachings  found  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment are  found  also,  with  slight  variations,  in 
the  sacred  books  of  Babylon,  of  India,  or  of 
China.  This  fact  could  never  prove  the  Bible 
account  to  be  untrue.  And  if  we  are  at  a  loss 
to  know  which  of  the  various  accounts  we 
ought  to  accept,  the  fact  that  Jesus  was  not 
born  in  Babylon,  in  India,  or  in  China,  but  was 
born  in  Judea  avowedly  to  meet  the  prophetic 
expectations  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  did 
meet  them,  must  settle  forever  the  transcendent 
importance  of  that  Book  to  all  whose  life  is 
bound  up  with  his  life.  To  such  a  man  the 
comparative  study  of  the  world's  religions  does 
not  debase  the  Old  Testament  to  a  level  with 
other  books.  It  simply  serves  to  show  the  ap- 
proximations and  departures  which  others  have 
made  in  reference  to  this,  his  ultimate  standard 
of  belief.       For   in  giving  to  the  world  the 


The  Scriptures.  43 

knowledge  of  himself  and  of  things  to  come, 
Jesus  also  adopted  and  gave  this  Book  concern- 
ing the  things  that  had  gone  before. 


11. 

God. 

"The  Father  is  with  me." — John  xvi.  32. 

"1\  yrANY  things  may  be  believed  and  known 
^^^  concerning  God,  and  there  are  many 
ways  in  which  one  may  beheve  in  God.  This 
is  shown  by  James  when  he  says,  ''The  demons 
also  believe  and  shudder."  ^  It  is  in  the  atti- 
tude which  is  held  toward  God  that  we  find  the 
difference  between  the  moralist  and  the  re- 
ligious man.  The  moralist  goes  his  way,  led 
by  considerations  of  what  he  is,  and  of  what 
his  place  requires,  seeking  the  approval  of  his 
own  conscience  as  the  highest  joy.  The  re- 
ligious soul  bends  before  the  revelation  of  a 
personal  will,  and  finds  its  strength  in  com- 
munion with  that  personal  God.  Jesus  Christ 
was  preeminently  a  religious  man,  and  with 
his  superior  ways  of  finding  out,  brings  to  us 
very    clearly   the   doctrines    of   God's    unity,^ 

^  James  ii.  19.  ^  Mark  xil.  29. 


God.  45 

eternity,^  omnipresence,^  omniscience,^  omnip- 
otence,^ goodness  '''  and  justice ;  ^  but  the  most 
manifest  peculiarity  of  his  faith  was  that  God 

IS  NEAR.^ 

The  tendency  of  m.odern  thought  seems  to 
be  away  from  this  notion.  When  evolution 
takes  any  account  of  God  at  all,  it  places  him  at 
the  beginning  of  an  almost  infinite  series,  too 
far  away  to  be  taken  into  account,  or  to  be  of 
any  practical  use.  Physical  science,  if  it  finds 
room  for  him  at  all,  regards  him  only  as  a  great 
constitution  builder,  who,  in  setting  up  a  uni- 
versal reign  of  law,  has  limited  his  own  free- 
dom. His  laws  are  but  chains  with  which  to 
bind  himself,  and  the  cruel  machine  which  he 
has  set  up  is  beyond  his  own  control,  so  that 
we  are  foolish  to  cry  to  the  God  of  nature  for 
any  help.  The  higher  criticism  of  the  Scrip- 
tures accomplishes  very  much  the  same  thing 
for  us,  by  cutting  out  of  the  Bible  all  that  tells 
of  events  above  the  experience  of  men  now 
living.  It  is  a  little  hard  to  see  of  what  good 
is  a  God  thus  bound  and  far  av>^ay,  but  so 

'  John  xvii.  24.  *  John  xiv.  23.  '  Matt.  vi.   32. 

"John  X.  29;  Matt,  xxviii.  18.  ^  Luke  xviii.  19. 

«Matt.  vii.  2;  Luke  xvfii.  7.    « John  viii.  29;  xvi.  32. 


46  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

strong  is  this  tendency  that  all  who  wish  to 
appear  well  informed  seem  inevitably  urged  on 
to  push  God  into  the  distance. 

Granting  that  there  is  a  God,  his  attributes 
might  well  be  what  the  Scriptures  describe, 
and  we  may  find  no  difficulty  in  so  thinking. 
The  practical  difficulty  nowadays  is,  to  rise  to 
the  faith  of  Jesus,  to  whom  God  was  a  present 
and  an  efficient  help,^^  for  having  heard  a  voice 
at  the  beginning  of  his  work  which  showed  that 
there  was  One  just  above  him  who  cared  for 
him,  and  approved  of  the  work  which  he  was 
doing,^^  he  seems  always  to  have  been  strong 
and  happy  in  that  work.  Nor  was  he  lonely, 
though  alone;  the  Father  was  with  him,^^  ^j^^j 
to  get  rid  of  other  company,  so  that  he  miglit 
have  communion  with  that  Father,^ ^  was  the 
nearest  approach  to  self-indulgence  of  which 
he  was  guilty,  and  for  this  his  highest  joy  he 
rather  robbed  the  hours  of  his  own  rest  than 
the  hours  which  others  miglit  with  reason 
claim.^^. 

This,  then,  was  his  faith. 

"Matt.  xii.  28;  John  v.  19.  "Matt.  iii.  17. 

"  John  xvi.  32.  "  Matt.  xiv.  23.  "  Luke  vi.  12. 


God.  47 

I.  He  believed  God  to  be  the  actual  ruler 
and  inspector  of  this  world.  In  majesty  he 
sits  upon  the  heavens  for  a  throne/^  and  the 
earth  is  his  fcK^tstool.^^  Out  of  his  generous 
hand  the  sunshine  and  the  rain  descend  to  bless 
even  the  rebellious  and  unthankful.^ ^  All 
power  is  his/^  and  the  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth  performs  his  pleasure  and  delivers  au- 
thority and  power  to  whom  he  will.^^  All 
living  things  depend  upon  his  thoughtful  care.^^ 
The  men  of  the  world  he  holds  responsible  for 
the  gifts  they  have  received.^ ^  Inspecting 
every  tree  of  his  vineyard,  he  expects  returns 
proportioned  to  the  care  bestowed.^^  He  also 
is  the  one  object  of  worship,  to  whom  men  must 
everywhere  bow,^^  and  to  whom  every  man 
whose  spirit  pities  the  wasting  harvest  must 
cry  for  laborers  to  bring  in  the  whitening 
grain.2*  Thus  God  knows  all,  rules  all,  and  is 
so  great  that  all  everywhere  may  worship  him 
and  be  heard.  But  this  care  is  not  general  and 
indefinite. 

"  Matt.  V.  34;  xxiii.  22.        ^^  Matt.  v.  35.        "  Matt.  v.  45. 

"Matt.  xi.  25-27;   John  x.  29.  "John  xix.  11. 

2»  Matt.  vi.  26.        ^^  Matt.  xxv.  14-30.        ^  Luke  xiif.  6-9. 

23  John  iv.  20-24.  ^4  j^^tt.  ix.  38. 


48  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

2.  Jesus  believed  in  particular  providence. 
The  sun  shines,  and  all  who  are  in  the  right 
position  may  be  benefited.  If  we  could  con- 
ceive the  sun  as  consciously  lifting  the  mists 
that  hang  thick  above  the  valleys,  intentionally 
engaged  in  painting  some  tiny  flower,  lovingly 
caring  for  each  tender  plant,  and  neither  by 
excess  of  heat,  nor  by  hiding  his  face  too  long, 
allowing  the  best  interests  of  any  creature  to 
suffer  —  if  we  could  conceive  of  such  a  sun, 
dealing  v/ith  each  with  all  the  care  and  skill 
that  he  gives  to  all,  we  should  have  a  much 
nearer  approach  to  Christ's  conception  of  God's 
gracious  care.  Each  bird  he  feeds,^^  each  lily 
does  he  clothe,^^  the  sparrow,  sick  or  smitten 
or  freezing,  and  falling  to  the  ground,  escapes 
not  his  affectionate  notice,^''  and  a  man  higher 
and  nearer  to  God  than  any  of  these  may  think 
of  God  as  numbering  and  marking  the  tiniest 
thing  that  aids  his  comfort  or  adorns  his  life.^^ 

Not  only  can  God  touch  the  individual,  but 
God  must  touch  every  soul  of  man  that  enters 
the  kingdom,^^  and  they  enter  one  by  one,  each 

»»Matt.  vi.   26.  ^«  Matt.  vi.  30.  "Matt.  x.   29. 

=*»  Luke  xii.  7.  ^^  John  iii.  3. 


God.  49 

having  had  this  high  transaction  for  himself.^*^ 
This  tree  bears  fruit,  and  that  does  not.^^  This 
man  has  revealed  to  him  truth  which  is  hid 
from  other  minds,  and  which  he  had  no  means 
of  knowing  till  God  became  his  teacher.^ ^  Each 
branch  he  prunes,  lest  it  be  unfruitful  through 
neglect,^^  and  if  this  little  one  is  caught  in  an 
evil  snare,  and  this  one  set  the  trap,  God  knows 
them  both,  and  will  arise  to  avenge  the  wrong. 
Then  woe,  not  to  the  world,  but  to  that  indi- 
vidual whom  God  condemns.^*  Jesus  did  not 
seem  to  understand  how  God  could  govern  the 
world,  and  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  parts 
that  make  up  that  world.  To  him  God  not 
only  had  to  do  with  masses  —  he  ruled  and 
cared  for  men.^^  But  higher  still  in  this  belief 
did  he  go. 

3.  Jesus  believed  that  God  was  concerned 
about  him.  God  had  used  the  individualizing 
"thou"  and  he  had  heard  it.^^  Nevermore  was 
he  alone ;  the  Father  was  with  him,  working  in 
what  he  worked,^*^  both  directing  ^^  and  giving 
power.^^      Every  miracle  was  witness  to  this 

»«  John  vi.  65.  "  -^^-^^  ^^^^   q_^  s2  ^^^^  ^^^   j^^ 

'3  John  XV.  2.  "Matt,  xviii.  6. 

"Luke  xxif.  32;  John  xvii.  9.  ^«  Mark  i.  11. 

^^  John  xiv.  10.  «"  John  v.  19;  xiv.  31. 


50  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

great  fact.  He  might  speak,  and  men  might 
wonder  ^^  at  the  unseen  power  which  accom- 
panied his  words.  They  attempted  unsuccess- 
fully to  explain  the  strange  phenomenon,**^  but 
Jesus  made  it  plain  when  he  said  it  was  simply 
the  finger  of  God.*^  *'The  Father  hath  sent  me 
into  the  world" ;  *^  his  Spirit  is  upon  me,** 
and  'T  do  always  the  things  that  are  pleasing 
to  him."  **  Between  him  and  God  there  was 
personal  communion  and  intercourse.*^  God 
might  and  did  love  the  world,*^  but  dearer 
than  this  God  loved  him,  and  let  him  know  it.*^ 
*'I  know  that  thou  hearest  me  always" ;  *^  "I 
abide  in  his  love."  *^  His  labor  and  suffering 
came  not  because  the  Father  had  forgotten,  or 
was  unable  to  help  him.  Nay,  the  bitter  cup 
was  held  in  the  same  loving  hand  that  had 
measured  to  him  his  greatest  blessings,  and  he 
braced  himself  to  the  supreme  sorrow  with  the 
reflection,  'The  cup  wdiic^h  the  Father  hath 
given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it?"  ^^     Aye,  when 

''Luke  xi.  14.              **»  Luke  xi.  15.  '       *^  Luke  xi.  20. 

*2John  iii.  17;  x.  36;  xvii.  18.  "Luke  iv.  18. 

**John  viii.  29.              "John  xvif.  *'' John  iii.  16. 

"  John  XV.  9.                  *'John  xi.  42.  *^John  xv.  10. 
"'John  xviii.  11. 


God.  51 

God  measures  out  to  a  special  man,  if  the  man 
have  anything  of  God  in  his  heart,  he  must 
drink  what  the  cup  holds. 

That  this  was  Jesus'  faith  cannot  be  more 
clearly  shown  than  by  examining  the  substance 
and  spirit  of  his  prayers.  There  were  definite 
things  which  he  wished  to  do,  and  he  looked  up 
to  heaven  as  he  entered  on  the  mighty  tasks.^^ 
His  heart  was  not  filled  with  general  aspirations 
which  he  could  not,  or  dared  not,  express,  and 
which  he  had  no  reason  to  believe  God  would 
grant  if  he  did  express  them.  He  reached  up 
to  God  for  aid  in  special  tasks,^^  and  for  the 
fulfilment  of  plans  and  desires  which  he  must 
leave  unrealized.^^  The  seventeenth  chapter 
of  John  is  a  definite  prayer  whose  specific  an- 
swer is  making  richer  the  life  of  every  child  of 
God  to-day.  Would  he  have  spent  whole 
nights  ^*  upon  the  weary  mountain  top  in 
prayer  if  he  had  not  believed  that  God  came 
down  to  meet  and  feed  his  hungry  soul? 
Would  he  have  told  of  a  poor,  sin-burdened 
man  crying  out  for  mercy  and  going  home  with 

5^  Matt.  xiv.  19.         "John  xi.  41.         "John  xvii.  20,  24. 
^  Luke  vi.  12. 


52  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

a  sense  of  infinite  peace,  if  he  had  not  believed 
it  was  true  ?  ^^ 

If  there  be  hollowness  in  a  man's  teaching,  it 
will  show  in  times  of  danger.  But  see  Jesus 
when  they  come  for  his  arrest,  and  when  he 
knows  the  end  to  be  near,  standing  with  all  the 
dignity  of  a  God  in  human  form,  and  asking, 
"Or  thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  beseech  my 
Father,  and  he  shall  even  now  send  me  more 
than  twelve  legions  of  angels  ?"  ^^  To  one 
who  spoke  like  this,  God  surely  was  not  far 
away.  And  when  previously  in  the  garden  he 
used  that  strange  address,  a  cry  of  the  child- 
heart,  an  address  used  only  then  —  the  word 
*'my"  coupled  in  direct  address  with  the  word 
"Father"  —  "My  Father"  ^^  —  T  know  that  he 
thought  God  heard  those  words.  So  also  upon 
the  cross,  when  he  said,  "Into  thy  hands,"  ^^  it 
seems  as  if  "he  thought  he  could  reach  up  with 
his  poor  hands  and  touch  the  hands  of  the  in- 
finite God. 

II.  Of  this  article  in  our  Saviour's  creed, 
the  nearness  of  God,  we  note  — 

■»  Luke  xviii.  14.       "  Matt.  xxvf.  53.       "  Matt.  xxvi.  42. 
"Luke  xxiii.46. 


God.  53 

1.  It  was  a  source  of  great  comfort  and 
strength  to  him.  He  is  the  author  of  the  words, 
"Yea,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  well-pleasing  in 
thy  sight,"  ^^  and  this  was  said  in  the  face  of 
God's  inscrutable  providence.  When  the  Jews 
early  in  his  ministry  were  going  about  to  kill 
him,^^  and  again  when  he  spoke  to  his  disciples 
of  their  leaving  him  alone  to  his  dread  fate,^^ 
he  uses  the  words  which  would  make  any  heart 
stout,  "The  Father  is  with  me."  Herod  may 
seek  to  kill  him,  but  he  knows  that  to  meet  the 
Father's  plan,  he  must  work  to-day  and  to- 
morrow; therefore,  no  fear  comes  to  his 
heart.^^  God,  whose  eye  is  on  him,  is  nearer 
and  stronger  than  Herod.  Pilate,  armed  with 
Roman  might,  may  boast  of  authority,  and 
endeavor  to  disturb  the  calm  prisoner  of  the 
gentle  eye  and  voice  that  stands  before  him,  but 
Jesus  tells  the  haughty  man  that  even  Rome's 
mighty  power  would  be  annulled  if  God  let 
down  his  hand  between  the  prisoner  and  the 
judge.  ^^ 

2.  He  wishes  his  people  to  believe  as  he  did 

"  Matt.  xi.  26.  '^  John  viii.  29.  *^  John  xvi.  32. 

•^Luke  xiii.  32.  ^^  John  xix.  10,  11. 


54  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

on  this  great  point.  God  does  hide  himself  in 
his  works  and  in  the  parables  of  life  so  that  not 
all  are  able  to  find  him  or  to  see  his  hand,^^  but 
if  one  knows  Christ  and  keeps  his  command- 
ments, he  will  be  taught  the  language  of  his 
providence,  and  shall  even  have  a  special  mani- 
festation of  God's  presence  in  his  heart.^^  Jude 
did  not  understand  this,  'but  Jesus  says  it  is 
true,  and  he  elsewhere  asserts  that  he  has  in- 
deed manifested  God's  name  to  certain  chosen 
ones  who  had  been  given  unto  him.^^  More- 
over, at  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  the  very  purpose 
of  his  prayer  is  declared  to  be  the  enlighten- 
ment of  his  friends  on  this  point,  "I  know  that 
thou  hearest  me  always,  but  because  of  the  mul- 
titude that  standeth  around  I  said  it,  that  they 
may  believe."  ^^  O  Lord,  give  proof  that  my 
work  is  thy  work,  that  when  thy  servant  speaks 
the  Master  hears ;  and  the  proof  came.  Is  not 
every  injunction  to  prayer  but  evidence  of  the 
same  desire  on  his  part  ?  ''Thy  Father  seeth  in 
secret ;"  ^®  ask  and  he  will  give  ^^  —  give  daily 
bread,    guidance,     forgiveness,     deliverance,"^^ 

«*Matt.  xifi.  11.         "John  xiv.  7-23.         «« John  xvii.  6. 

^'  John  xi.  42.    <=«  Matt.  vi.  4.    «®  Matt.  vii.  7;  John  xv.  16. 

^«Matt.  vi.  9-15. 


God.  55 

arid  if  there  be  any  case  unprovided  for,  re- 
member that  ''your  heavenly  Father  knoweth 
that  ye  have  need."  "^^  Can  one  get  so  far 
away  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  this,  "My 
Father  knoweth"  ?  Here  is  comfort,  courage, 
peace  and  hope.  In  lonehness,  when  misunder- 
stood, when  defamed,  when  betrayed,  when 
broken-hearted,  when  bereaved,  and  we  like 
children  are  crying  in  the  night,  the  cry  goes 
not  out  into  earless,  heartless  space.  The 
Father  knoweth  and  is  very  near. 

This  article  of  faith  in  the  nearness  of  God 
has  been  in  the  creeds  of  well-nigh  all  the  great 
of  earth.  Men  are  weak,  and  they  need  a 
strong  hand  to  hold  them  up  and  make  them 
stand.  Even  heathen  men  have  felt  the  power 
that  comes  from  a  thought  like  this.  Confu- 
cius conceived  truth  to  be  dear  to  heaven,  and 
that  heaven  would  preserve  him,  because  he 
stood  so  near  to  truth.  Thus  in  desertion  and 
shame  he  said,  'There  is  no  one  that  knows  me, 
but  there  is  heaven  —  that  knov/s  me."  Cer- 
tainly, then,  faith  in  the  nearness  of  the  living 
God  would  add  strength  to  any  man.     Gideon 

"Matt.  vi.  32. 


56  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

in  his  battle  cry  coupled  the  sword  of  God  with 
the  weapon  which  was  wielded  by  his  own  arm, 
and  every  arm  that  followed  him  was  stronger 
by  reason  of  that  faith.  The  prophet  Elisha, 
when  surrounded  by  human  foes,  and  when  his 
own  friend  has  lost  all  faith  and  hope,  could 
see,  and  pray  that  the  young  man  might  see, 
the  hosts  of  God  gathered  upon  the  hills  to 
comfort  and  encourage  him.  God  opened  the 
eyes  of  the  youth,  and  all  his  fear  departed. 
Paul,  the  apostle,  pressed  well-nigh  to  crushing, 
assures  us  that  he  could  do  all  things  through 
Christ,  and  in  giving  account  of  his  first  ap- 
pearance before  the  bar  of  the  Caesar  at  Rome, 
when  all  his  friends  forsook  him,  leaving  him 
unaided  to  face  the  dread  tribunal,  he  tells  us 
that  God  stood  with  him  and  strengthened  him. 
Martyrs  and  reformers,  whether  in  prison,  at 
the  stake,  or.  on  the  mountains  cold,  felt  the 
power  and  comfort  of  this  same  faith.  God 
was  near  to  them,  nearest  when  they  were  most 
in  need. 

As  a  particle  of  dust  against  the  world,  or  a 
feather  in  a  whirlwind,  so  is  one  man  against 
the  forces  of  nature  or  against  the  passions  of 


God.  57 

men,  yet  with  this  presence  of  God  in  his  soul, 
and  this  faith  that  God  is  near  at  hand,  that 
same  atom  may  have  courage  to  face  the  one, 
and  power  to  rule  the  other,  for  men  are  heroes 
still  when  they  catch  from  heaven  the  voice, 
'To,  I  am  with  you  always,"  "^^  and  men  are 
comforted  still  when  they  can  say,  ''My  Father 
knoweth,"  ^^  and  no  burden  can  crush  the  man 
who,  in  the  simplicity  of  the  faith  of  Jesus,  can 
say,  "I  am  not  alone."  '^* 

"  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  "  Matt.  vi.  32.  ^*  John  xvi.  32. 


III. 

Satan. 

"I  beheld  Satan  fallen  as  lightning  from  heaven." 
Luke  x.  18. 

CHRIST  in  this  passage  names  his  enemy 
and  tells  of  a  wonderful  vision  concerning 
him.  Whatever  the  original  occurrence  was, 
the  words  placed  where  they  are  mean  that 
Christ,  as  he  saw  his  kingdom  grow  and  vic- 
tories over  evil  won,  saw,  as  one  sees  a  light- 
ning flash  in  the  heavens,  Satan  and  his  king- 
dom falling  to  inevitable  defeat.  Christ  and 
Satan,  leaders  of  two  hostile  forces,  make  no 
truces,^  and  are  so  related  that  gain  for  one 
means  loss  to  the  other.^  Christ's  kingdom 
is  set  up  against  the  kingdom  of  the  Prince  of 
this  world,  and  every  follower  of  Christ  is  a 
man  snatched  by  violence  from  the  power  of 
Satan.^  Satan,  like  some  feudal  baron,*  is  not 
careful  what  his  serfs  may  think  of  him  so  long 
as  the  service  is  rendered  and  the  revenues  are 

*  Matt.  iv.  8-11.        '  John  xii.  31-32.        «  Luke  xf.  14-23. 
*  Luke  xi.  21. 


Satan. 


59 


paid.  He  may  hide  himself  from  view  until 
men  come  to  doubt  whether  there  be  such  a 
person  or  not.  They  may  count  themselves  ''at 
peace,"  ^  held  by  circumstances,  their  own 
poverty,  their  weakness,  to  the  soil.  Little 
cares  he.  So  long  as  they  serve,  and  die  as 
their  fathers  did,  he  is  satisfied,  for  their  skep- 
ticism as  to  the  lord  within  the  castle  gates  may 
remove  from  them  an  object  of  hate;  as  he 
keeps  them  poor  and  weak,  his  reign  is 
strengthened  by  their  doubts.  His  sway  is 
maintained  by  craft  as  much  as  by  strength. 
''He  is  a  liar."  ^  And  it  suits  his  purpose  for 
men  to  ridicule  his  being  and  attributes.  Whom 
men  despise  they  do  not  fear.  The  jests  and 
pictures  that  make  men  laugh  and  hold  his 
being  in  contempt  really  serve  to  throw  us  off 
our  guard,  and  make  his  victories  the  easier. 
Who  now  believes?  who  now  trembles  before 
the  assaults  of  this  enemy  whom  Christ  named 
Satan  ?  Christ  doubted  not,  and  Christ  laughed 
not.    Satan  was  his  enemy.^ 

I.  In  him  and  of  him  he  believed  the  follow- 
ing: 

*Luke  xi.  21.  "John  viii.  44.  « Matt.  xiii.  39. 


6o  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

I.  His  personality.  To  Christ  Satan  was 
not  a  mere  personification  of  .an  evil  principle; 
he  was  the  intelligent  being  from  whom  evil 
arose,  and  who  revelled  and  ruled  among  his 
own  ill-shapen  offspring.  "Ye  are  of  your 
father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father 
ic  is  your  will  to  do.  He  was  a  murderer  from 
the  beginning,  and  standeth  not  in  the  truth, 
because  there  is  no  truth  in  him.  When  he 
speaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own;  for  he 
is  a  liar,  and  the  father  thereof."  "^  Nor  did 
he  in  his  views  of  Satan  merely  accommodate 
himself  for  purposes  of  teaching  to  the  super- 
stitions of  the  Jewish  people.  The  whole  tone 
of  the  record  ^  forbids  this  view,  even  if  we 
could  suppose  a  true  man  to  be  guilty  of  such 
a  method.  No,  Satan  was  more  to  him  than 
either  of  these  ideas  will  allow.  Christ  ad- 
dresses him,  and  is  addressed  by  him.^  Christ 
assigns  him  powers  of  rule,^^  desires,^ ^  pas- 
sions,^^  actions  with  moral  quality,^^  responsi- 
bility and  condemnation.^^  These  high  attri- 
butes belong  only  to  persons.     These  things 

^  John  viii.  44.  *Luke  xxii.  31;  Matt.  x.  1,  8. 

•  Matt.  iv.  1-11.  ^0  John  xiv.  30.  "  Luke  xxif.  31. 

"John  viii.  44.        "John  xii.  31;  xvi.  11;  Matt.  xxv.  41. 


Satan.  6i 

constitute  personality.  And  therefore,  accord- 
ing to  the  form  of  the  gospel  narrative,  Satan 
is  just  as  truly  a  personal  and  an  active  agent 
as  any  of  the  men  that  are  named,  and  is  men- 
tioned oftener  than  most  of  them. 

2.  Satan  has  high  authority  and  power.  He 
has  a  kingdom,  which  he  rules  and  for  which 
he  labors.^*  In  the  sphere  of  this  world  that 
is  Christless  he  is  prince,^ ^  and  men  serve  him. 
It  is  in  his  power  to  afflict  with  physical  ills,^^ 
and  when  permitted  by  God  he  can  toss  and 
expose  to  driving  winds  the  children  of  men  as 
easily  as  a  stalwart  man  can  sift  the  grains  of 
wheat.^*^  A  host  of  evil  spirits  hear  his  com- 
mands and  obey,^^  and  men,  called  his  children 
because  they  are  under  his  power  and  are  like 
him,  fulfil  his  desires.^^ 

3.  His  character  is  wholly  evil.  In  fact,  one 
of  the  names  applied  to  him  is  the  Evil  One.^^ 
He  is  so  evil  that  Jesus,  who  spake  truly  even 
in  the  epithets  which  he  applied,  calls  him  liar 
and  murderer.^2    He  deceives  and  kills,  and  is 

"  Luke  xi.  18-22.  "  John  xii.  31.  "  Luke  xiii.  16. 

"Luke  xxii.  31.  "Matt.  xxv.  41. 

"John  viif.  44;  Matt.  xvi.  23;  John  xiii.  27. 

^^  John  xvii.  15.  "  John  viii.  44. 


62  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  source  whence  lying  and  kiUing  spring.  He 
deceives  our  hearts,  and  leaves  them  parched 
like  a  desert  land  that  is  dead.  ''Every  one  that 
drinketh  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again."  ^^ 
He  deceives  our  minds,  and  they  wander  into 
darkness,  there  to  become  blind,  and  then  to 
stumble  and  to  fall.^^  He  deceives  the  pure, 
and  their  innocence  perishes.  He  deceives 
the  strong  and  young,  and  they  spend  their 
strength  in  vain  pursuits,  and  having  spent  all, 
the  famine  comes  and  he  leaves  them  to  die.^^ 
He  is  the  father  of  lies,  hatings  and  death,  and 
the  father  of  all  such  as  do  the  things  that  make 
for  falsehood  and  death.^*  A  terrible  monster 
is  he,  and  yet  this  is  Satan  in  the  eye  of  Christ. 
This  being  his  character,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  he  is  represented  by  Christ  as  being  op- 
posed to  him  in  all  things.  He  would  destroy, 
if  possible,  what  Jesus  is  doing.  Jesus  sows 
good  seed,  but  when  it  is  left  exposed  for  a 
moment  Satan  snatches  it  away,-^  or  comes  in 
the  night  time  and  sows  seed  of  quite  another 
sort,  so  as  to  choke  or  pollute  the  Master's 

"  John  vi.  13.  "  John  xii.  35.  '^  Luke  xv.  14. 

^*John  viii.  44.  ^' Mark  iv.  15. 


Satan.  63 

grain. 2^  And  not  content  with  deeds  like  these, 
he  rises  into  bitter  enmity  against  Christ  him- 
self. All  his  minions  are  against  the  Son  of 
man.2^  Satan  himself  tries  to  seduce  him,^^ 
and  failing,  stirs  up  men  with  murder  in  their 
hearts  to  try  to  kill  him.^^  Then,  when  the  end 
of  his  life  drew  near,  the  prince  of  this  world 
came,  and  Jesus  felt  his  power.^^  Thus  was 
Satan  evil  enough  to  stand  in  the  way  and  to 
oppose  the  loving  Christ. 

4.  Jesus  believed  in  the  ultimate  ruin  of 
Satan.^^  Armed  with  a  power  which  was 
God's  —  so  truly  God's  that  he  calls  it  God's 
finger  —  Jesus  had  begun  to  enter  the  house  of 
the  strong  man,  and  everywhere  proved  himself 
stronger  than  the  opposing  devil.^^  The  prince 
of  this  world  was  already  condemned,^^  and 
God's  Spirit  would  prove  to  the  world  what 
Jesus  already  believed.^*  The  kingdom  of 
Satan  was  to  him  a  waning  kingdom.  While 
his  servants  wrought,  he  was  beholding  Satan 
as  lightning  falling  ^^  ever  toward  a  place  and  a 

-«Matt.  xiii.   39.           "Mark  i.  24.  ^'^  Matt.  iv.   1-11. 

2»John  viil.  40,  41.       "OL^^e  xxii.  53.  "Luke  x.  18,  19. 

^^Luke  xi.  20-22.         ^  John  xii.  31.  »*  John  xvi.  8-11. 

•»  Luke  X.  18. 


64  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

fire  prepared  for  him  and  for  all  those  that  were 
his.^^  So  steadfastly  did  Jesus  believe  this  that 
he,  conscious  of  the  good  beginning  and  in 
anticipation  of  the  ultimate  triumph,  said  to  his 
friends,  "Be  of  good  cheer;  I  have  over- 
come." ^"^ 

II.  The  Gospels  leave  no  room  to  doubt  that 
Jesus  believed  in  such  a  personal  devil,  with 
such  a  character  and  such  a  doom.  They  also 
let  us  see  some  of  the  effects  which  this  belief 
had  upon  his  daily  life. 

I.  He  was  in  constant  opposition  to  the 
powers  of  evil.  The  temptation  ^^  showed  that 
there  was  nothing  in  common,  either  in  their 
nature  or  in  their  plans,  between  Jesus  and 
Satan.  Christ  occupied  the  position  of  an  in- 
vader.^^  The  temptation  may  be  compared  to 
a  preliminary  conference,  in  which  Satan  used 
every  art  in  his  power  to  seduce  God's  lieu- 
tenant from  his  purpose  and  his  allegiance. 
The  result  was  an  open  defiance  on  each  side. 
They  both  understood  that  the  war  would  go 
on,*^  and  Satan  learned  that  this  time  God  had 


••  Matt.  XXV.  41.  "  John  xvi.  33.  "  Matt.  iv.  1-11. 

"  Luke  xi.  22.  «  Luke  iv.  13. 


Satan.  65 

sent  a  messenger  stronger  than  he.  There  was 
a  quaUty  in  Jesus'  person  that  seemed  to  force 
every  demon  that  came  near  him  to  declare  his 
own  presence  and  to  acknowledge  the  power  of 
Christ.^ ^  Full  well  do  they  know  that  he  will 
drive  them  out,  and  with  harsh,  stern  words 
as  to  a  beast,  he  silences  them.*^  So  unfailing 
is  the  opposition  that  in  the  parable,  when  the 
picture  is  of  things  gone  wrong,  he  says,  ''An 
enemy  hath  done  this."  *^ 

It  is  not  always  safe  to  measure  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  by  our  spirits,  but  if  it  is  right  to  hate 
evil,  he  could  do  even  this  right  thing  more  per- 
fectly than  we,  and  the  zeal  which  burned  in 
him  for  his  Father's  honor,^'*  burned  against 
oppression  and  evil  and  found  a  conspicuous 
object  in  this  enemy  that  was  doing  these 
things.*^  We  stand  in  awe  and  are  silent  be- 
fore the  passions  which  filled  his  heart  at  the 
end,  when  the  victory  was  to  cost  him  so  much, 
and  when  he  succumbed  for  an  hour  before  the 
power  of  darkness.'*^  This  time,  not  by  seduc- 
tion, but  by  bruising,  does  the  devil  try  him. 


"Matt.  viii.  29;  Mark  i.  24,  etc.  "Mark  i.  25. 

"  Mat.  xiii.  28.  "  John  ii.  13-17.  "  Luke  xxfi.  53. 


(]^  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

Well  do  we  know  that  Christ,  all  through  his 
life,  ceased  not  for  a  moment  to  resist  evil,  and 
we  know  that  this  enemy  had  much  to  do  with 
the  sad,  weary  life  which  he  passed  on  the 
earth. 

2.  One  other  effect  of  this  faith  we  notice. 
The  known  hatred  of  Satan,  the  appreciation 
of  his  strength,  the  familiar  weakness  of  his 
own  people,  awakened  in  the  breast  of  Jesus  the 
keenest  sympathy  for  those  who  would  be  ex- 
posed to  the  endless  attacks  of  an  implacable 
foe.  He  knows  their  danger  ;*^  he  wishes  them 
to  stand.*"^  Christ's  experience  brings  his  heart 
very  near  to  the  heart  of  a  tempted  man.  He 
therefore  instructs  them  daily  to  pray  for  the 
same  strength  that  sheltered  him,*^  and  shows 
the  importance  which  he  attaches  to  this  prayer 
by  using  the  same  petition  when  at  the  last  he 
goes  into  the  Father's  presence  on  their  be- 
half.^^  He  descends  even  into  particular  cases, 
and  prays  for  one  man  who  shall  be  sorely 
tossed  and  broken,  that  his  faith  may  not  fail.^^ 

Those  who  stand  with  Christ  and  believe 


"Matt.  xxiv.  24;  xxvi.  41.  "John  xvii.  11. 

*«Matt.  vi.  13.  **  John  xvii.  15.  "^  Luke  xxii.  32. 


Satan.  67 

with  him  should  hate  where  he  hated,  and 
surely  we  have  double  cause.  Satan  is  the 
being  who  came  upon  the  scene  when  our  first 
father  was  fresh  from  God's  hand,  and  living 
ill  innocence  and  joy.  He  changed  that  happy 
world  to  a  world  like  this,  where  innocence  is 
not  found,  and  joy  seldom  comes ;  and  not  that 
only,  but  when  the  good  God  in  great  com- 
passion sent  to  us  a  Saviour  to  bring  us  back 
to  the  fellowship  and  peace  of  the  new  adop- 
tion, Satan,  implacable  still  above  all  beings, 
came  to  seduce  our  Saviour  and  to  rob  the 
world  of  its  only  hope.  In  this  he  failed,  but 
he  hated  still,  and  at  the  end  of  Jesus'  life  he 
comes  with  all  his  dark  power  to  crush  him 
v/hom  he  could  not  seduce.  Hate  him?  yes, 
and  by  God's  grace  I  would  love  to  hate  him 
more.  And  when,  in  the  end,  his  fall  complete, 
my  ever  blessed  King  shall  place  his  heel  upon 
the  serpent's  head  and  bruise  it,  I  want  to  be 
there  to  see  the  victory  and  to  share  the 
triumph. 


IV. 

Sin. 

"Ye  then  being  evil." — Matt.  vii.  11. 

IT  is  astonishing  that  upon  this  article  of  the 
creed  of  Jesus  the  whole  world  is  not 
agreed.  Jesus  knew  sin  by  observation;  men 
know  it  by  hard  experience  —  y^t  it  seemed  a 
more  dreadful  thing  to  him  than  it  does  to 
them.  This  is  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact 
tliat  he,  being  rich  in  holiness  and  peace,  was 
better  able  to  measure  the  misery  of  those  who 
are  too  poor  and  besotted  to  know  their  own 
lack,  and  by  this  other  fact  that  he  was  able 
in  his  vision  to  take  in  the  ultimate  condition 
of  a  man  when  sin  is  finished  and  the  wages 
are  all  paid. 

Now  and  then  you  find  a  man  who,  under  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  has  been  brought  around  to 
the  view  of  Jesus;  and  to  a  man  thus  taught, 
one  of  the  standing  marvels  is,  how  men  can 
have  any  doubt  upon  this  subject.    To  him  it 


Sin.  69 

seems  that  the  fang  of  the  serpent  is  in  the 
heart  of  the  world.  His  hope  is  not  in  the  non- 
existence of  the  poison,  but  in  an  antidote. 
The  untaught  ones,  on  the  other  hand,  are  de- 
ceived in  two  ways.  The  virus  is  of  so  strange 
a  quahty  that  it  destroys  the  edge  of  suffering ; 
they  lose  the  power  to  blush.  Contrariwise,  in 
some  of  its  most  deadly  forms,  sin  actually 
makes  show  of  perfect  health.  Like  the  dis- 
eased silk-worm,  grown  great  above  its  fellows, 
and  whose  very  size  is  an  indication  of  ap- 
proaching dissolution,  so  the  proud,  self-right- 
eous, hypocritical  man  comforts  himself  with 
swellings  of  the  heart,  which  are  not  signs  of 
life,  but  of  death.  It  is  a  mistake  to  think  that 
the  average  man  is  hungry  and  longing  for 
something  holier  than  his  present  condition. 
Often  he  feels  no  pain,  and  often  he  glories  in 
himself  as  having  need  of  nothing. 

Nor  is  he  left  to  himself  in  taking  this  com- 
placent view.  Certain  teachers  from  opposite 
quarters  come  to  him,  and  pitching  their  voices 
on  the  same  key  with  his,  make  him  think  that 
already  he  sings  v^ell.  The  prophet  of  New- 
revelation  and  the  prophet  of   No-revelation 


70  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

practically  agree.  The  one  says,  sin  has  no 
guilt,  for  it  a  sort  of  negation  at  best ;  the  other 
says,  sin  has  no  guilt,  for  it  is  only  a  remnant 
of  mere  animal  tendencies.  The  man  listens 
to  the  so-called  Christian  Scientist,  and  learns 
that  if  he  could  only  think  little  enough  of  sin 
to  think  it  nothing,  all  would  be  well.  He  then 
listens  to  the  natural  scientist,  who  tells  him 
that  there  has  been  no  fall;  that  man  is  very 
praisewor'thy  for  his  present  condition;  and 
that  a  slight  turn  of  the  wheel  of  evolution  is 
all  that  is  needed  to  remove  the  imperfections 
of  the  lower  orders  of  life  which  still  cling  to 
him.  Thus  do  the  conclusions  of  irrehgion,  no 
religion  and  high  religion  agree. 

Sin  has  all  the  multitude  of  forms  that  may 
arise  from  aiming  at  a  wrong  object  ^  or  from 
aiming  awry  at  an  object  that  is  right.^  Jesus 
did  not  make  for  us  a  complete  catalogue  of 
sins^  but,  in  a  general  way,  it  is  impossible  to 
mistake  his  belief  on  this  great  subject. 

I.  He  believed  men  to  be  sinners.  We  prove 
the  truth  of  this  assertion  in  the  following  way : 

I.  Men  were  not  in  the  moral  condition  he 

^Mark  xii.  38-40;  John  v.  44.  =^  Matt.  vi.  5;  xv.  7-9. 


Sin.  71 

dtsired  them  to  be.  The  first  recorded  word  of 
his  public  ministry  is  the  cry,  "Repent."  ^  This 
word  so  spoken  has  no  meaning  except  as  a 
message  to  those  who  are  perversely  out  of  the 
way,  and  Jesus  had  no  right  to  insult  the  holy 
with  such  an  implication.  Nor  would  he  have 
a  right  to  disturb  the  quiet  of  the  world  by  such 
a  cry,  if  all  were  well.  With  him  the  assump- 
tion was  that  men  are  evil,*  and  his  purpose  in 
coming  to  the  world  and  living  and  dying,  and 
sending  forth  a  ministry  to  men,  is  thus  ex- 
pressed, ''To  open  their  eyes,  that  they  may 
turn  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the 
power  of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they  may  re- 
ceive remission  of  sins,  and  an  inheritance 
among  them  that  are  sanctified  by  faith  in  me" 
(Acts  xxvi.  18.) 

Seeking,  saving,  healing,  and  these  at  infinite 
cost,  that  was  the  end  of  his  human  existence. 
"The  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
which  was  lost."  ^  ''Himself  took  our  infirmi- 
ties and  bear  our  diseases."  ^  "For  the  Son  of 
m_an  also  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but 


8  Matt.  iv.  17.  *Luke  xl.  13;  Matt.  xfi.  34;  Luke  vi.  32-34. 
^Luke  xix.  10.  ''Matt.  viii.  17. 


72  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many."  ^ 

To  him  there  was  as  much  difference  as 
there  is  to  us  between  an  Herodias  and  a  Mary, 
a  Judas  and  a  John,  and  we  can  safely  chal- 
leng^e  the  world  to  show  a  single  instance  in 
which  the  ''world"  is  set  forth  other  than  as 
an  offence  to  his  sense  of  justice  ^  or  as  a  bur- 
den upon  his  loving  heart.^ 

2.  The  reasons  why  the  world  does  not  meet 
his  view :  Men  are  in  darkness ;  nor  is  this  a 
mere  misfortune,  for  they  love  the  darkness 
and  what  the  darkness  hides.  "This  is  the 
judgment,  that  light  is  come  into  the  world, 
and  men  loved  the  darkness  rather  than  the 
light;  for  their  works  were  evil."  ^^  They  are 
in  ignorance  of  God,^^  which  doubtless  should 
awaken  pity;  but  when  they  come  to  see  God, 
they  hate  him,  and  hate  Christ.  ''Every  one 
that  doeth  evil  hateth  the  light."  ^^  ''Now  have 
they  both  seen  and  hated  both  me  and  my 
Father."  ^^  And  they  hate  his  servants  because 
they  are  different  from  the  world.^*    The  wills 

^Mark  x.  45.  "Matt,  xviii.  7.  "John  iii.  17. 

"John  iii.  19.  "Matt.  xi.  27.  ^  John  iii.  20. 

"John  XV.  24.  "John  xv.  19. 


Sin.  ^  73 

of  men  are  averse  from  God/^  and  they  have 
given  their  allegiance  to  God's  enemy,  the  devil, 
who  has  come  to  bear  such  a  relation  to  men 
that  he  may  be  called  their  father.^^  And  men 
are  like  him,  and  they  do  his  lusts,^^  and  these 
lusts  defile.^ ^ 

So  painful  is  the  truth  that  men  hate  God's 
messenger  w*ho  declares  it.  "Me  the  world 
hateth,  because  I  testify  of  it,  that  its  works 
are  eVil."  ^^  "If  the  world  hateth  you,  ye  know 
that  it  hath  hated  me  before  it  hated  you."  ^^ 
And  so  deep-rooted  is  the  disease  that,  as  he 
points  out  to  Nicodemus,^^  the  very  nature  of 
man  is  wrong  and  in  need  of  a  divine  trans- 
formation. "Ye  must  be  born  anew."  No 
teaching,  though  the  teacher  be  come  from 
God  —  no  physical  wonder,  like  the  restoration 
to  the  comparative  innocence  of  childhood,  can 
overcome  the  inflexible  law,  "That  which  is 
born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh."  ^^ 

II.  Concerning  this  condition  of  men,  which 
broug*ht  Christ  Jesus  into  the  world,  and  made 


"  John  V.  40.  ^«  John  viii.  38.  ^'  John  vi'ii.  44. 

"Matt.  XV.  18-20.    ^»John  vii.  7;  viii.  40.    -»John  xv.  18. 

21  John  iii.  1-14.  ^2  j^j^j^  iji_  g^ 


74  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

him  "a  man  of  sorrows,"  the  following  state- 
ments seem  clear : 

1.  However  the  complaint  may  be  defined, 
he  considered  the  evil  to  be  a  quality  not  of 
actions  only,  but  of  persons.  There  is  some- 
thing in  the  tree  that  determines  the  character 
of  the  fruit.^^  Strong  men  are  usually  exact 
in  their  speech.  To  Jesus,  men  not  only  did 
evil  things,  but  were  themselves  evil,^*  blind,^^ 
hypocritical,^^  unclean,^^  wicked,^^  lost.^**  Thus, 
back  of  the  evil  deeds,  he  saw  the  evil  man, 
and  came,  not  to  stop  the  evil-doing  simply,  but 
to  save  the  man. 

2.  This  evil  quality  attached,  not  to  the  body 
only,  but  to  the  spirit.  In  vain  we  search  for 
any  view  of  Christ  by  which  a  sin  may  be  ex- 
cused because  it  is  only  in  the  flesh.  Evil  de- 
sires spring  from  the  heart,^^  and  set  on  fire 
evtn  those  passions  that  are  called  animal. 
Every  temptation  is  first  in  the  mind,  and 
throug'h  the  mind,  the  imagination,  does  it 
affect  the  body.^^     It  is  indeed  the  attitude  of 

23  Matt.  vii.  17,  18.  ^4  ^yj^^^    ^ji    ^i.   ^^^    45 

"Matt.  XV.  14;  ^^  Matt,  xxiii.  13,  etc. 

"Matt.  XV.  19;   John  viii.  7.         ^^  Matt.  xiii.  49;   v.  28. 

="Matt.  XV.  24;   Luke  xix.  10. 


Sin.  75 

the  mind  or  heart  that  determines  in  every  case 
whether  an  action  be  good  or  bad.^^  Mani- 
festly, the  same  bodily  action  may  be  either. 
But  evil  in  the  mind's  eye  will  make  one  see 
evil,^^  and  evil  in  the  mind's  ear  will  make  us 
hear  amiss.^^  'Take  heed  therefore  how  ye 
hear."  ^3 

3.  The  evil  quality  attaching  both  to  the 
action  arid  to  the  person  is  not  a  mere  absence 
of  good,  but  a  very  positive  and  real  thing  — 
so  real  that  it  can  produce  physical  effects,  dis- 
ease and  death,^* —  so  real  that  it  can  defile  the 
whole  man,^^  changing  the  character,  not  only 
of  that  which  he  produces  from  within,^^  but 
even  the  view  that  he  will  take  of  that  which 
appeals  to  him  from  without.^''^ 

Why  not  say  that  good  is  a  mere  negation  ? 
The  absence  of  evil?  Certainly  the  active 
power  in  evil  is  just  as  marked  as  are  the  active 
qualities  in  good.  In  the  parable  of  Jesus,^^ 
the  wolf  has  qualities  of  its  own  —  cruelty  and 

"*Matt.  vi.  5;  xii.  34.    ,  »^  Matt.  vi.  23. 

^==Mark  iv.  12;  John  viii.  43.  "Luke  viif.  18. 

^*  John  V.  14;  viii.  24;  Luke  xiii.  3.  ^  Mark  vii.  23. 

"Luke  vi.  45.  ^^  Matt.  vi.  23;  xx.  15. 

^Luke  X.  3;   Matt.  vii.  15. 


76  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

thirst  for  blood.  He  is  not  simply  not  a  lamb, 
he  is  a  wolf.  The  characteristics  of  the  tares 
are  just  as  distinct  as  the  characteristics  of  the 
wheat.  The  tares  are  not  simply  not  wheat, 
they  have  harmful  qualities  of  their  own.^^ 
Avarice  is  more  active  than  generosity,  and 
hate  burns  as  truly  as  does  love.  The  sunshine 
and  rain  that  make  for  health  are  no  more  real 
than  are  the  thousand  foes  that  threaten  to  de- 
vour every  living  thing.  Darkness  might  be 
described  as  the  absence  of  light,  and  death  as 
the  absence  of  life,  but  the  mighty  revolution 
which  hides  the  sun  and  produces  the  one,  and 
th^  dread  pestilence  that  produces  the  other  are 
very  real  things  indeed.  In  this  sense,  lust  and 
avarice  and  hate  are  among  the  facts  of  the 
world;  great,  devouring  passions  whidi  grow 
by  that  on  which  they  feed  —  the  lives  and 
souls  of  men.  That  which  changes  men  to 
devils,  and  teaches  men  to  do  the  devil's  work,^^ 
cannot  be  a  mere  negation.  That  which  com- 
passed the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,*^  we  cannot 
call  unreal. 

Certainly  Jesus  believed  himself  to  be  fight- 

"Matt.  xifi.  41.  *»John  viii.  44.  "Acts  ii.  23. 


The  Creed  of  Christ.  77 

ing  a  real  battle  with  real  foes.  The  judgment, 
0£  a  part  in  a  deathless  feud,  was  of  old  upon 
him,'*2  and  he  lived  conscious  of  the  opposition 
that  was  felt  and  shown,  with  increasing  force, 
as  he,  with  set  face,  went  on.^^  Perhaps  a  mis- 
sionary in  a  heathen  land  can  best  know  the 
mingled  feelings  of  love,^^  of  self-devotion,*^ 
cf  pity  even  to  tears,*^  and  yet  of  almost  defiant 
complaint  against  wilful  injustice,*"^  and  a  cer- 
tain looking-for  of  a  glorious  vindication  in 
the  end,*^  which  filled  the  heart  of  Jesus. 

If  men  had  been  holy,  none  of  the  work  of 
Jesus  would  have  been  necessary.  "They  that 
are  whole  have  no  need  of  a  physician,  but  they 
that  are  sick :  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous, 
but  sinners."  *^  He  begins  his  work  with  a 
cry,  "Repent"  f^  he  ends  his  instructions  with 
a  message  of  remission  of  sins.^^  Men  are  sin- 
ners, therefore  in  pity  and  love  he  came.  Men 
are  sinners,  therefore  they  made  him  suffer  so. 
His  knowledge,  and  now  his  experience,  com- 
bine to  make  Jesus  believe  that  men  are  sinners. 

"Gen.  fii.  15.  "Mark  viii.  31.  **  John  xv.  13. 

«  John  X.  18.  "  Luke  xix.  41.  "  John  vii.  28. 

*•  Mark  xiv.  62.  *»  Mark  ii.  17.  "  Matt.  iv.  17. 

»^Luke  xxiv.  47. 


Punishment  for  Sin. 

"And  these  shall  go  away  into  eternal  punishment." 
Matthew  xxv.  46. 

SCHILLER  speaks  of  a  curtain  let  down  at 
the  extremities  of  human  life,  before  which 
the  whole  race  stands  guessing  what  lies  be- 
yond. I  take  it  to  be  a  prudent  thing  to  listen 
to  the  voice  of  the  only  one  who  has  come 
from  the  other  side  to  tell  us  what  lies  over 
there. ^  Our  guess,  influenced  by  selfishness,  or 
even  by  charity,  may  be  very  wrong. 

All  situations  where  love  for  men  and  loyalty 
to  righteousness  seem  to  be  in  conflict  are  very 
trying  to  a  conscientious  man.  He  wishes  to 
think  and  to  do  what  is  right,  but  he  shrinks 
from  doing  what  is  unkind;  and  sometimes, 
when  a  man  has,  throug'h  a  tender  kindness, 
sacrificed  the  right,  he  even  congratulates  him- 
self upon  the  breadth  of  his  love.     But  men 

^John  viii.  42;   xvi.  28. 


Punishment  for  Sin.  79 

despise  as  weak  the  character  that  is  too  kind 
to  be  just.  Jesus  was  very  loving  and  very 
tender,  but  he  was  very  strong.  While  his 
heart  was  full  of  love,  his  view  took  in  man's 
responsibility  and  God's  righteousness.  ''The 
Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father  with  his  angels;  and  then  shall  he 
render  to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds."  ^ 
And  nothing  is  clearer  than  that  he  believed  a 
fearful  doom  to  be  hanging  over  men  because 
of  gin.^  The  kind-hearted  guesses  of  men  have 
taken  four  forms ;  one  holding  that  the  suffer- 
ings of  this  life,  with  the  added  pains  of  death, 
suffice  to  turn  the  hearts  of  all  men  to  God,  so 
that  the  mercy  of  God  opens  heaven  to  all  who 
thus  suffer.  We  might  inquire  how  it  is  known 
that  these  sufferings  turn  men  to  God,  and  we 
might  inquire  into  the  reasonableness  of 
Christ's  suffering  so  much,  if  any  other  suffer- 
ing would  accomplish  for  men  the  same  object. 
This  view  denies  any  suffering  after  death. 

Another  view  admits  the  justice  of  a  suffer- 
ing for  sin,  but  denies  that  it  is  eternal.  The 
reason  for  this  denial  is  not  that  the  Scriptures 

''Matt.  xvi.  27.  'Matt,  xviii.  6;  xxi.  44. 


8o  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

do  not  teach  eternal  punishment,  but  that  such 
a  penalty  seems  too  great,  and  that  after 
enough  has  been  endured,  all  will  be  restored 
to  joy  and  to  favor.  Aside  from  the  Saviour's 
clear  teaching,  to  which  we  shall  presently 
come,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  remark  that 
there  is  no  evidence,  by  analogy  or  otherwise, 
to  show  that  an  evil  and  rebellious  soul  ceases 
to  be  evil  and  rebellious  in  the  world  to  come. 
**An  eternal  sin"  (Mark  iii.  29)  would  imply 
an  eternal  sinner.  And  if  only  one  day's  suffer- 
ing were  needed  to  atone  for  one  day's  sin,  then 
the  sin  of  that  suffering  day  would  demand 
another  day  of  suffering  still,  and  thus,  without 
a  Saviour,  the  chain  would  never  be  broken. 

Still  another  view,  realizing  that  to  treat  the 
evil  like  the  good  would  not  be  right,  believes 
in  the  annihilation  of  the  evil.  This  view  can 
perhaps  bring  forward  more  plausible  support 
from  Scripture  than  the  other  two ;  but  unless 
an  adequate  punishment  preceded  this  strange 
issue,  neither  would  this  be  right.  Annihila- 
tion, if  conceivable,  must  be  conceived  as  a 
**sl€ep  in  which  there  is  not  even  a  dream." 
In  one  view,  that  of  the  miserable,  this  is  rest, 


Punishment  for  Sin.  8i 

not  punishment.  In  another  view,  that  of  a 
heart  with  hope,  this  would  be  a  terrible  pun- 
ishment, and  it  would  be  eternal. 

Still  a  fourth  scheme  has  been  presented 
which  seeks  much  support  from  Scripture, 
and  whose  purpose  seems  to  be  to  repre- 
sent God's  dealings  with  men  under  the 
forms  of  love  alone.  This  scheme  is  called 
the  doctrine  of  Conditional  Immortality,  and 
teaches  that  all  men  are  by  nature  mortal, 
both  in  body  and  in  spirit,  and  that  they 
only  become  immortal  when  touched  by  Jesus 
Christ.  A  little  further  reading  among 
the  words  of  Jesus  will  show  that  this  view 
does  not  accord  with  the  picture  which  be 
draws.  In  fact,  for  this  view  to  prevail,  some 
of  his  clearest  words  must  be  disregarded  or 
counted  untrue.  Certainly  he  calls  himself  the 
Judge  as  well  as  the  Saviour.  When  we  stop 
toyconsider  that  justice  also  is  a  divine  thing, 
is  there  really  any  call  for  us  to  attempt  to 
make  out  Jesus  better  than  he  represents  him- 
self to  be? 

These  four  views  we  call  guesses,  because  the 
source  of  the  teaching  is  in  the  human  heart 


82  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

and  mind.  And  now,  without  any  theory  to 
present,  and  with  a  desire  to  submit  even  the 
impulses  of  the  heart  to  the  teaching  of  Jesus 
Christ,  we  wish  to  show  as  accurately  as  pos- 
sible what  he  believed  on  this  awful  subject. 

I.  He  evidently  believed  that  some  bad  result 
would  follow  a  course  of  sin,  and  he  describes 
this  result  as  made  up  of  three  elements. 

I.  There  would  be  loss  —  loss  of  God's  gifts 
already  bestowed,*  loss  of  all  the  gifts  that  he 
himself  was  bringing,^  loss  of  all  the  riches  that 
are  wrapped  in  the  glorious  promises.  Here  is 
a  promise:  *T  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you."  ^ 
But  to  some  he  says,  "Whither  I  go  ye  cannot 
come."  '^  There  is  no  word  of  blessing  to  men 
of  a  particular  sort  which  does  not  mean  that 
men  of  the  opposite  sort  shall  miss  that  bless- 
ing. ''Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart."  ^  But 
suppose  a  man  is  not  pure  in  heart?  He  does 
not  promise  life  and  hope  and  love  to  all,  but 
to  men  of  definite  characteristics.  ''Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you.  He  that  believeth  hath 
eternal  life."  ^     But  suppose  a  man  does  not 

*  Matt.  XXV.  29.  ^  Matt.  v.  20;  John  vi.  53.  ^  John  xiv.  2. 
^John  vni.  21.  'Matt.  v.  8.  » John  vi.  47. 


Punishment  for  Sin.  83 

believe?    To  miss  these  things  is  to  suffer  loss. 
"I  pray  not  for  the  world."  ^^ 

2.  The  second  element  in  this  evil  result  may 
be  described  as  the  natural  consequences  of  sin, 
only  we  must  remember  that  God  is  the  one 
who  constitutes  the  connection  between  the  sin 
and  the  consequence,  and  guarantees  that  the 
one  shall  follow  the  other.  Men  are  already 
in  a  condition  from  which  they  need  to  be 
rescued,  and  failing  a  change  in  their  prospects, 
certain  physical  and  moral  ills  will  follow,  and 
should  be  expected  to  follow.^ ^  After  the  light 
has  shined,  darkness  is  deeper  than  it  was  be- 
fore.^2  xhe  blind  will  fall,  ^^  pollution  will  de- 
file.^* 'Tf  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he,  ye  shall 
die  in  your  sins;"  ^^  "Sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse 
thing  come  upon  thee."  ^^ 

3.  One  would  think  that  to  have  no  blessing 
from  God  was  bad;^^  that  to  be  subject  to  the 
bondage  of  sin,^^  and  simply  left  to  eat  its  fruit, 
v/as  bad ;  but  Jesus  believed  in  a  third  element 
of  evil  in  the  form  of  a  judicial  sentence  at  the 


^"John  xvii.  9.  "Matt.  vi.  23.  ^^John  xv.  22. 

"  Matt.  XV.  14.         "  Matt.  xv.  19.  20.         ^^  John  viii.  24. 
"  John  V.  14.  "  John  xiii.  8.  ^«  John  viii.  34. 


84  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

bar  of  a  supreme  personal  Judge.^^  If  loss  and 
natural  consequence  were  all,  what  power  would 
there  be  in  repentance  to  change  the  result  ?  ^^ 
If  God  were  not  displeased,  why  should  he 
speak  at  all  of  forgiveness  and  mercy  ?^^  God 
measures  with  an  even,^^  yet  retributive, 
hand.^^  There  is  a  day  of  solemn  judgment,^* 
and  God  has  power  to  inflict  the  sentence.^^ 
The  messengers  of  God,  with  unerring  dis- 
crimination, shall  gather  out  all  that  offend  and 
do  €vil.^^  Men  of  a  certain  sort,  Jesus  will 
himself  deny;^^  and  in  the  end  having  by  a 
review  of  their  life  separated  the  world  into 
two  parts,^^  shall,  under  the  rule  of  rendering 
to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds,^®  banish 
the  one  part  from  his  presence  forever.^^  And 
thus  in  places  too  numerous  to  quote,  did  Jesus 
hold  up  the  belief  that  the  infinitely  righteous 
God  would  in  a  definite  time  ^^  meet  the  world, 
and  that  in  that  day  the  wicked  and  rebellious 
would  go  down  in  shame  to  a  sentence  divinely 
pronounced  and  divinely  inflicted.      ''Be  not 

"  Matt.  XXV.  31.         ^  Luke  xiii.  3.  ^  Matt.  vi.  14,  15. 

"  Matt.  vii.  2.           '»  Matt,  xvfii.  35.  ^*  Matt.  xii.  36. 

"Matt.  X.  28.             "Matt.  xiii.  41.  "Matt.  x.  33. 

«  Matt.  XXV.  33.          ^  Matt.  xvi.  27.  »"  Matt.  xxv.  41. 
«^Matt.  X.  15. 


Punishment  for  Sin.  85 

afraid  of  them. that  kill  the  body,  and  after  that 
have  no  more  that  they  can  do.  But  I  will 
forewarn  you  whom  ye  shall  fear:  Fear  him 
who  after  he  hath  killed  hath  power  to  cast  into 
hell;  yea,  I  say  unto  you;  Fear  him."  ^^ 

This  third  element  in  the  result  of  sin  is 
really  the  important  one,  for  herein  are  em- 
braced the  responsibility  of  men  and  the 
authority  of  God.^^  If  there  were  no  God  at 
all,  the  first  result  would  follow.  If  nature 
were  our  only  God,  and  nature's  laws  the  whole 
of  his  will,  the  second  result  would  follow.  It 
is  Christian  Theism  —  The  God  who  is  the 
Father  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  God  whom  he  loved, 
in  whom  he  believed,  and  whose  character  he 
revealed  —  that  tells  us  of  a  judicial  sentence 
pronouncing  adequate  penalty  upon  the  evil- 
doer. 

II.  Of  this  result  of  sin  as  penalty,  Jesus  be- 
lieved — 

I.  That  when  the  judgment  was  once  ren- 
dered the  doom  was  fixed.  No  cry  from  with- 
out would  open  the  door  that  had  been  shut  f^ 
no  intercession  of  friends  would  save  the  man 

"  Luke  xii.  4,  5.    ^  Matt.  xii.  36,  37.    "  Matt.  xxv.  11,  12. 


86  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

from  loss;^^  no  answering  back  would  shake 
the  judgment  given.^^  The  separation  would 
be  made,^^  and  made  even  forcibly,'^  and  the 
gulf  that  marks  the  separation  is  impassable. 
''And  besides  all  this,  between  us  and  you  there 
is  a  great  gulf  fixed,  that  they  that  would  pass 
from  hence  to  you  may  not  be  able,  and  that 
none  may  cross  over  from  thence  to  us."  ^^ 

2.  Jesus  believed  the  penalty  which  God 
would  count  the  just  due  of  sin  a  very  terrible 
thing.  Here  we  must  understand  that  such  a 
man  as  Jesus  would  not  suffer  his  most  figura- 
tive words  to  be  other  than  true  figures.  Not 
even  the  rhetoric  of  Jesus  is  false.  So  terrible 
is  this  penalty,  that  God  sent  him,  and  he  will- 
ingly came  that  men  might  escape  it.  ''God  so 
loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should 
not  perish."  ^^  So  great  is  it,  that  men  might 
endure  anything,  loss  of  property,*^  of  bodily 
members,^^  of  life,*^  of  existence,*^  rather  than 
endure  this.  It  is  "outer  darkness,"  *^  a  "parch- 

«'  Luke  xix.  25.  '  Matt.  xxv.  44,  45. 

«^Matt.  xiii.  41;   xxv.  32.  ''*  Matt.  xiii.  42;   xxv.  30. 

^  Luke  xvi.  26.  *^  John  fii.  16.  *'  Mark  viii.  36. 

*2  Matt.  V.  29,  30.  "  Matt.  x.  39.  **  Matt.  xxvi.  24. 

*^  Matt.  viii.  12. 


Punishment  for  Sin.  87 

ing  thirst/"  *^  a  "gnawing  worm/'  ^^  a  "burn- 
ing fire."     It  is  death;  '^^  it  is  helL^^ 

3.  He  also  believed  that  this  awful  condition 
lasts.  The  unforgiving  man  shall  not  be  for- 
given ;  ^^  the  "fire  is  not  quenched" ;  ^^  "their 
worm  dieth  not"  f^  the  "fire  is  eternal."  ^^  The 
doom  lasts  just  as  long  as  the  bliss  of  the  right- 
eous lasts,  and  the  word  that  he  uses  for  both 
is  the  word  "eternal."  "And  these  shall  go 
away  into  eternal  punishment:  but  the  right- 
eous into  eternal  life."  ^* 

III.  The  grounds  of  all  punishment  are  the 
same.  The  judicial  punishment  of  a  day  w^ould 
rest  upon  the  same  justification  as  the  punish- 
ment of  a  thousand  years.  Jesus  mentions  two 
reasons  why  sin  will  be  visited  w^ith  evil. 

I.  The  first  is  the  law  of  retribution.  If  one 
makes  a  debt,  he  oug^ht  to  pay  it.^^  The  unfor- 
giving man  ought  not  to  be  forgiven,^^  and  will 
not  be.^^  He  who  trips  up  a  weak  and  unof- 
fending child  ought  to  suffer  for  it.^^  The 
wicked    man    who    swallows    down    the    sub- 

*«  Luke  xvi.  24.             "  Mark  ix.  48.  **  John  viii.  51. 

*«Matt.  xxiii.  33.           ^«  Matt.  vi.  15.  "Mark  ix.  43. 

^2  Mark  ix.  48.  "  Matt,  xviif.  8.  "  Matt.  xxv.  46. 

"^Luke  xii,  58.  ^'^  Matt,  xviii.   35.  ''^  Matt,  xviii.  6. 


88  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

stance  of  an  unprotected  widow  must  receive 
greater  condemnation.^^  The  betrayer  of  Jesus 
deserves  bitterness  and  woe.^^  It  is  right,  and 
only  right,  that  a  man  should  receive  according 
to  his  deeds.^^  Woe,  seven  times  repeated,^^ 
has  been  pronounced  against  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  hypocrites,  by  the  lips  of  a  righteous 
man.  We  think  that  God  has  made  men  so 
that  the  judgment  of  the  average  man  will  coin- 
cide with  the  judgment  of  Jesus  \^^hen  he  denies 
the  man  that  denies  him,  and  banishes  those 
vv^ho  are  evil  from  his  presence.  "Whosoever 
shall  deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny 
before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  ^^  De- 
part from  me,  ye  cursed."  ^^  We  cannot  con- 
ceive that  it  would  be  right  for  John  and  Judas 
to  be  treated  just  alike. 

2.  The  other  fact  out  of  which  grows  the 
inevitable  punishment  of  the  wicked  is,  that 
God  will  some  day  cause  truth  to  be  vindicated. 
It  will  be  a  bad  day  for  darkness  when  every- 
where the  glorious  light  shall  shine.^*     When 


•»  Mark  xii.  40.  "^^  Matt.  xxvi.  24.      '    "*  Matt.  xvi.  27. 

®^Matt.  xxiii.  13-29.       '-Matt.  x.  33.       "'Matt.  xxv.  41. 
**John  i'ii.  20.    . 


Punishment  for  Sin.  89 

God  shall  suddenly  arise  to  avenge  his  own 
elect,^^  the  oppressor  and  seducer  shall  be  forced 
to  loose  their  prey.  However  exalted  Jesus  is, 
whi'ther  he  goes  they  cannot  come.^^  When  the 
Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,^^  as 
come  he  will,  and  the  persecutors  and  crucifiers 
shall  see  him,^^  as  see  him  they  will,  surely 
shame  like  the  shame  of  the  defeated,  and  a 
p.mg  like  the  pang  of  the  dying,  shall  come  to 
them.^^ 

The  revelation  of  the  Son  of  man  in  his  true 
character  will  he  like  a  raging  flood  "^^  or  a  con- 
suming fire,'^^  and  the  tribes  of  men  shall 
mourn."^  And  when  his  reign  is  established, 
it  will  be  with  the  breaking  of  all  traitorous 
opposition. "^^  Not  all  will  be  able  to  stand  erect 
before  him  when  he  cometh.'^*  How  can  the 
v/icked  escape  punishment,  if  they  simply  get 
their  dues,"^^  and  if  some  day  the  right  shall  be 
gloriously  exalted  ?  ^^    Certainly  even  the  com- 


^''Luke  xviii.  7.    «"  John  viii.  2.    "  Matt.  xvi.  27 ;  xxv.  31. 
«*  Matt.  xxvi.  64.        «"  Rev.  vi.  16.        '"  Matt.  xxiv.  37-39. 

"  Luke  xviii.  28-30.  '-  Matt.  xxiv.  30. 

"Luke  xix.  14-27;   xxi.  25-28.      .  ^*Luke  xxi.  35. 

"Matt.  xvi.  27.  "John  xvi.  33;  xvii.  5. 


90  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

ing  of  Jesus  changed  not  the  character  of  God. 
He  is  righteous  still.'^'^ 

IV.  Of  this  dread  doctrine  the  speech  of 
Jesus  is  full.  In  the  sermon  on  the  mount/^ 
in  parables  or  interpretation  of  parables/^  in 
v/arning  words,^^  in  prophecy  of  the  future,^^ 
as  often  as  he  spoke  of  sin  or  of  sinners,  this 
thought  came  as  substance  or  as  shadow  to  his 
wonderful  words,  and  how  he  felt  is  not  hard 
to  see. 

He  thought  the  rapacious  Scribe  ought  to  be 
condemned.*^  He  thanks  his  Father  for  his 
righteous  sovereignty  f^  states  how  that  Father 
will  visit  evil  for  sin,^^  and  announces  that 
when  he  comes  to  the  station  of  Judge,  his  sen- 
tence will  be  like  God's  sentence  in  all  re- 
spects.^^  His  anger  burned  against  those  who 
in  pretended  zeal  for  the  law  violated  the  law,^^ 
and  though  his  heart  was  full  of  a  great  love 
for  men,^^  he  yet  longed  for  the  setting  up  of 
a  righteous  kingdom,^^  and  for  the  vindication 


"John  xvii.  25.         "Matt.  v.  29.         "Matt.  xiii.  39-42. 
*'Matt.  xi.  22;    Luke  xfi.   5.  "Matt.  xxv.   31-46. 

"^  Luke  XX.  47.         *^  Matt.  xi.  25-26.         »*  Matt,  xviii.  35. 
"John  V.  27-30.  «*  Matt,  xxiii.  33;  Mark  iii.  5. 

*^Matt.   xxiii.   37.  «« John   xii.   31,32. 


Punishment  for  Sin.  91 

of  his  true  character  before  the  world.^^  He, 
greater  than  Solomon  or  than  Jonah,  is  de- 
spised.^^  He,  a  prisoner,  stands  before  the  bar 
of  a  wicked  Judge,  and  his  thoughts  go  out  to 
the  glorious  day  of  manifestation.^^  It  will 
cost  the  cities  that  despised  him  much.^^  It  will 
overwhelm  the  wicked  Judge.  But  he  longs  for 
the  revelation  of  his  glory,  all  the  same.^^  This 
is  not  cruelty  in  Gdd.  Sin  makes  us  to  deserve 
the  ill.  This  is  not  cruelty  in  Jesus.  He  in  the 
very  speaking,  is  filled  with  a  deep  love  that  will 
cause  him  to  lay  down  his  Hfe  for  these  doomed 
ones.  Men  choose  the  sin,  and  sin  is  their  great 
enemy,  not  God  and  not  Christ. 

*»  John  xvii.  4,  5,  23.  •»  Matt.  xfl.  41,  42.  *^  Matt.  xxvi.  64. 
»"  Matt.  xi.  21.  •'  John  xviii.  36,  37. 


VI. 
Himself. 

"I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  he." — John  iv.  26. 
"Even  if  I  bear  witness  of  myself,  yet  my  witness  is 
true." — John  viii.  14. 

A  CONFESSION:  "Gladly,  thou  divine 
-^  ^  Son  of  Mary,  had  I  said  something  great 
of  thee.  At  times  I  thought  I  saw  in  the  flash- 
ing light  of  a  blessed  hour  thy  divine  majesty 
adorned  in  spotless  purity ;  but  as  I  was  about 
to  fix  the  holy  vision,  the  pencil  trembled  in 
my  unskilled  hand,  and  I  could  give  only  a  pale 
outline.  Who  are  we  that  attempt  to  describe 
thy  holiness?" — Pressense. 

The  undertaking  of  a  great  enterprise  by  a 
great  man  is  always  a  profitable  study.  Several 
questions  may  be  asked :  What  is  the  work  that 
he  undertakes  to  do?  What  moves  him  to 
undertake  this  work?  What  methods  does  he 
use  ?  Why  does  he,  rather  than  another  of  his 
time,  undertake  the  work  to  which  he  devotes 
himself?     To  answer  all  these  questions  is  to 


Himself.  93 

answer  this  other  question,  What  thinks  this 
great  man  of  himself  ?  And  if  the  work  is  very 
great,  and  the  man  is  very  courageous,  so  that 
we  can  trace  through  his  whole  career  a  sublime 
confidence  in  a  self-wrought  success,  we  say: 
This  man  believed  in  himself.  It  seems  that  in 
this  respect  the  faith  of  Jesus  never  wavered. 
If  there  ever  was  a  man  upon  earth  that  be- 
lieved he  saw  a  great  work  to  be  done,  and  that 
he  was  the  man  to  do  it,  that  man  was  Jesus 
Christ.  *'My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him 
that  sent  me  and  to  accomplish  his  work."  ^ 

We  have  seen  that  in  his  view  men  were  sm- 
ners,2  and  that  because  of  that  sad  fact,  coupled 
with  his  knowledge  of  the  moral  government 
of  God,  he  believed  a  great  doom  to  be  hanging 
over  men.3  Here,  then,  is  a  right  worthy  enter- 
prise, to  deliver  men  from  that  awful  doom,* 
to  cause  them  to  cease  forever  being  sinners  in 
the  sight  of  God,^  and  to  bring  them  so  into 
life  and  favor  that  they  shall  be  children  of 
God  in  a  new  and  gracious  sense.^  In  a  word, 
to  pierce  that  dark  cloud  of  doom  by  a  shining 

^  John  iv.  34.  »  See  Chap.  IV.  «  See  Chap.  V, 

*  John  iii.  16.  ''John  viii.  34-36.  "  Matt.  v.  9;  Luke  vi.  35. 


94  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

pathway  leading  from  each  man's  door  straight 
up  to  the  footstool  of  God's  eternal  throne. 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  shall  see  the 
heaven  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascend- 
ing and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  man."  "^ 
I  know  of  no  man  who  would  for  a  moment 
suppose  that  it  was  in  his  power  to  do  this  great 
thing.  Haw  comes  it  that  Jesus  found  it  in  his 
heart  to  think  that  this  was  his  work?  And 
that  he  would  succeed  ? 

It  ought  to  be  stated  that  there  is  with  him 
no  casting  about  for  a  business.  The  work  he 
did  is  what  he  came  to  do.^  God  loved  men,* 
and  he  loved  them  as  God  did,^  and  God  ap- 
pointed him  to  this  mission,^ '^  and  caused  him 
to  be  born  into  the  world  that  he  might  fulfil 
it.^^  We  first  find  him  a  babe,  a  boy,  a  man, 
and  he  seems  quite  like  other  men;  but  soon 
there  shines  out  a  faith,  a  courage,  a  power  that 
lifts  him  up,  and  he  is  no  more  like  ourselves, 
but  like  God.  He  is  God !  Even  the  men  who 
saw  his  human  form  and  suffering,  and  had 
their  difificulties  increased  thereby,  could  con- 


»John  i.   51.  'Luke  iv.  43.  'John  xv.  9. 

"  John  X.  36.  "  John  xvifi.  37. 


Himself.  95 

fess  him  so  to  be.^^  Wondrous  combination, 
true  and  preeminent  manhood/^  coupled  with 
real  and  conscious  divinity !  ^*  The  Son  of 
man,  with  affections,  pains  and  members  like 
other  men,  and  yet  with  that  admirable  con- 
sciousness of  power  than  enabled  him  to  stand 
upon  a  tossing  boat  and  to  see  without  surprise 
the  waves  shrink,  quivering,  into  peace  before 
his  mild  rebuke.^ ^  Had  I  thus  spoken,  and  had 
the  sea  thus  obeyed,  astonishment  would  h^ve 
overwhelmed  me;  but  with  Jesus  such  po'wer 
seems  no  strange  thing.  He  counts  himself 
God's  equal,^^  and  teaches  men  to  honor  him 
as  they  honor  the  ever-living  God.^^  A  good 
man  does  not  knowingly  teach  the  ignorant  an 
untrue  thing. 

I.  Jesus,  then,  believed  himself  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah. We  have  said  that  with  him  there  was 
no  appearance  of  looking  for  work,  or  of  inde- 
cision as  to  whether  he  was  the  one  to  do  the 
work  when  found.  Long  time  before  he  had 
dwelt  in  glory  with  the  Father.^ ^  God  had 
commissioned  him  to  a  great  task,^^  and  had 

"  John  XX.  28.  "  Matt.  viii.  20.  "  John  x.  30. 

"Mark  iv.   39.  "John  v.   19.  "John  v.   23. 

"John   xvii.   5.  ^»  John   x.   36. 


96  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

sent  others  to  tell  the  world  of  one  anointed 
for  the  service.^^  Even  the  humblest  of  the 
people  could  say,  ''I  know  that  Messias 
Cometh ;"  ^^  and  when  all  is  ready,  Jesus  stands 
forth  and  says,  '1  that  speak  unto  thee  am 
he."  22  He  was  the  Messiah  when  the  plan  was 
first  conceived.  He  was  the  Messiah  when  the 
promise  was  made  and  repeated,  and  when,  in 
after  days,  men  were  straining  their  eyes  to  dis- 
cover him;  and  when  he  actually  came  into 
the  world,  he  did  not  have  to  say,  "I  am  going 
to  take  up  this  undone  work  and  do  it,  and 
thus  become  the  Messiah  for  men"  —  he  said, 
"I  am  the  Messiah" ;  "And  because  I  am  what 
I  am,  I  am  ordained  of  God  and  pressed  in  my 
own  spirit  to  fulfil  the  task." 

So,  if  any  one  ask,  "How  did  Jesus  come  to 
think  of  himself  as  the  Messiah?"  the  answer 
is  that  he  was  not  formed  upon  the  Messiah 
idea  as  revealed,  but  the  reverse  is  true  —  the 
Messiah  ideas  and  promises  grcAv  out  of  him 
and  his  undertaking.  His  task  was  not  to 
assure  his  own  heart,  but  to  get  others  to  be- 
lieve as  he  did.     His  faith  was  so  clear  that 

^Luke  xxiv.  44.  *^John  iv.  25  "John  iv.  26. 


Himself.  97 

the  doubts  of  others  could  not  shake  it.  To 
the  woman  of  Samaria  he  asserts  the  fact  that 
he  concerning  whom  the  prophets  had  been 
talking  was  now  come.^^  To  his  friend,  John 
the  Baptist,  wht>  is  in  trouble  and  begins  to 
doubt,  he  reveals  his  great  power,  in  order  to 
reassure  the  doubting  heart.^^  On  the  confes- 
sion of  this  faith  he  founds  his  church,^*  and, 
strange  to  say,  God  brought  it  about  that  he  is 
finally  condemned  under  this  specific  charge. 
They  soug^ht  other  faults,  but  found  nonCj^*^ 
and  Jesus,  the  Messiah,  dies  because  he  makes 
this  claim.  *T  adjure  thee  by  the  living  God, 
that  thou  tell  us  whether  thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God."  And  Jesus  answered,  'T  am, 
and  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  at  the 
right  han'd  of  Power  and  coming  with  the 
clouds  of  heaven."  ^^ 

II.  Being  the  Messiah  involved  with  him  at 
least  three  duties  or  forms  of  activity.  These 
duties  are  also  of  such  a  sort  that  only  he  can 
discharge  them.  He  places  himself  as  an  abso- 
lutely essential  quantity  in  human  life.  "Ex- 
cept ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man  and 

*'John  Iv.  26.         *«Matt.  xi.  2-6.         ="  Matt.  xvi.  16-18. 
"Mark  xiv.  55-59.  ^^  Mark  xiv.  62. 


98  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

drink  his  blood,  ye  have  not  Hfe  in  your- 
selves." ^^  He  stands  between  men  and  God. 
*'I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life :  no 
one  Cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me."  ^^ 
And  their  fate  turns  upon  their  relation  to  him. 
''Every  one  therefore  who  shall  confess  me  be- 
fore men,  him  will  I  also  confess  before  my 
Father  who  is  in  heaven.  But  whosoever  shall 
deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny 
before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  ^^ 

I.  He  brings  a  message  and  a  revelation. 

The  message  is  of  God's  great  love,  yearning 
over  men,  and  calling  them  to  a  restless  dis- 
content with  their  estrangement  from  him; 
such  a  discontent  as  will  lead  them  to  turn  from 
all  evil,  to  come  into  the  light,  and  to  walk  in 
it  ''God  so  loved  the  world."  ^^  "Repent 
ye."  ^^  "He  that  doeth  truth  cometh  to  the 
light,  that  his  works  may  be  made  manifest  that 
they  are  wrought  in  God."  ^^ 

The  revelation  is  of  the  great  God  himself. 
He  alone  of  men  knows  God,  and  only  he  can 
teach  this  knowledge  to  others.^^     He  shows 

"John  vi,  53.  =»  John  xiv.  6.  ^o  i^^^i-^  ^    ^2,  33. 

»•>  John  fii.  16.  ^'  Matt.  iv.  17.  ^'  John  iii.  21. 

"Matt.    xi.    27. 


Himself.  99 

men  plainly  of  the  Father,^*  and  so  competent 
is  he  for  this,  and  so  divine,  that  when  a  man 
knows  him,  he  has  already  known  God.^^  So 
confident  is  he  of  his  place  as  the  world's  great 
teacher,  that  he  presumes  to  speak  with  abso- 
lute authority.  ''The  words  that  I  have  spoken 
unto  you  are  spirit,  and  are  life."  ^^  The  earn- 
estness and  sincerity  of  'his  speech  thrilled  the 
hearts  even  of  his  enemies.^ "^  No  such  teaching 
as  his  had  ever  been  heard  before.^®  His  'T 
say  unto  you"  was  supreme.^^  He  also  deemed 
his  message  to  be  urgent,  for  he  tarries  not  for 
men  to  come  to  him,  but  going  from  city  to 
city,  'he  teaches  and  preaches  with  the  same 
commanding  spirit. 

2.  There  is  not  only  a  Messiah  message,  but 
a  Messiah  life.*^  The  form  that  that  life  would 
take  had  long  been  a  matter  of  debate.  How 
is  the  life  of  a  Messiah  to  differ  from  the  lives 
of  other  men  ?  Is  he  king,  with  kingly  retinue, 
or  is  he  a  suffering  servant  O'f  the  world?  In 
his  day,  all  the  readers  of  all  the  prophecies  had 
failed  to  find  the  answer.*^     Prominent  he  puts 

^John  xvi.  25.               ^^  John  xiv.  9.  '^Johnvi.  63. 

^■'Matt.  vii.  28,  29;   xiii.  54.  ^*  John  vii.  46. 

^^Matt.  V.  22   ("I"  emphatic).  '^  Matt.  ix.  35. 

*^John  vii.   25-44. 


loo  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  delivery  of  a  gracious  message  to  needy 
ones.  "I  must  preach  the  good  tidings  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  to  the  other  cities  also;  for 
therefore  was  I  sent."  ^^  But  it  is  more;  he 
is  to  heal  the  broken-hearted  by  getting  close  to 
the  burdened  ones  —  lifting  up  their  loads  of 
ill,  and  making  their  sorrows  his  own.  "J^^us 
wept."  ^^  And  it  is  not  sympathy  alone  that 
he  brings,  but  sight,***  and  health,*^  and  life  and 
forgiveness  of  sin."*"^ 

The  Messiah's  life  belongs  to  the  world.  'T 
am  the  light  of  the  world."  ^^  We  read  not  of 
anything  done  for  his  own  comfort  and  ease. 
His  was  a  kingly  heart,  ofttimes  doing  things 
with  spirit  high  enough*^ — but  chiefly  did  he 
count  the  world's  Messiah  to  be  the  world's  ser- 
vant.^^  He  touched  the  sores  and  filth  of  men 
as  humbly  as  a  servant ;  ^^  he  healed  and 
cleansed  them  as  royally  as  God.^^  A  kingly 
heart,  doing  humble  things  for  a  high  pur- 
pose ^^ —  this  was  the  manner  of  Jesus'  life, 
and  he  lived  as  a  Messiah  ought  to  live. 

«  Luke  iv.  43.               *«  John  xi.  35.  **  Luke  fv.  18. 

"Matt.  ix.  35.               "John  x.  10.  «  Matt.  ix.   6. 

"John  viif.  12.              "John  ii.  15.  "Matt.  xx.  28. 

"  Matt.  viii.  3;  John  xiii.  5.  *'  Matt.  viii.  3. 
"John  xiii.   15. 


Himself.  ioi 

These  two  features  of  the  Messiah's  work 
touch  ignorance  and  sorrow  and  sickness ;  but 
these  things,  while  bad  enough,  are  themselves 
indications  of  a  worse  disease,  and  that  disease 
is  sin.  The  teachings  of  Jesus,  and  the  unself- 
ish life  of  Jesus,  would  have  alleviated  in  many- 
ways  the  condition  of  men,  but  even  his  teach- 
ings and  example  would  have  been  insufficient 
for  this  greater  task  of  bringing  in  salvation 
from  sin.  Had  he  done  ten  times  the  amount 
of  that  sort  of  work,  the  grain  of  wheat  would 
have  still  abided  alone.^*  So,  to  his  mind, 
neither  his  teaching  nor  his  life  were  the  essen- 
tial things,  but  — 

3.  His  death.  ''And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from 
the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  myself."  ^^ 
In  the  death  lies  the  power.  The  message  and 
the  life  all  tend  to  the  supreme  sacrifice.  They 
explain  the  death,  and  the  death  gives  color  to 
them.  By  the  first  he  seeks;  by  the  last  he 
saves.  Early  he  showed  his  knowledge  of  the 
fact  that  he  must  be  Hfted'  up,^^  but  it  is  only 
after  he  had  wrought  into  the  hearts  of  his  fol- 
lowers   the    sublime    faith    that    he    was    the 

•*  John  xii.  24.  "  John  xii.  32.  "  John  lif.  14. 


I02  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

Christ  ^^  that  immediately  he  begins  to  open 
his  heart  still  further  and  to  show  that  there 
was  a  necessity  upon  him  to  die.^^  He  must 
go  to  Jerusalem,  not  to  teach  and  probably  to 
die,  but  he  must  go  there  purposely  to  die ;  and 
when  his  friend  would  dissuade  him  from  his 
purpose,  he  rebukes  Peter  most  harshly  for 
ignorance  and  Satan-likeness.^^ 

The  great  fact  stands  out  as  pressing  upon 
his  mind,  and  casting  its  shadow  forward  to 
darken  the  way  as  he  went  on  to  meet  it.  He 
tells  his  disciples  as  they  journey  toward  the 
city,^^  at  the  anointing,^^  at  the  last  supper  — 
the  Shepherd  about  to  be  smitten  tells  them,  out 
of  his  store  of  Bible  knowledge,  that  God  had 
caused  it  so  to  be  written. ^^  The  fact  he  fore- 
knew,^^  and  the  manner  of  death's  coming,^* 
and  the  reason ;  ^^  and  death  came  upon  him 
in  a  way  fully  to  justify  his  forebodings.  The 
increasing  dread  with  which  he  advanced  into 
the  increasing  darkness  shows  that  either  his 
death  meant  more,  or  that  his  courage  was  less 


'''Matt.  xvi.  16,  20.  '^^  Matt.  xvi.  21.  ^»  Matt.  xvi.  23. 
•<*  Matt.  XX.  17,  18.  "  Matt.  xxvi.  12.  "^  Matt.  xxvi.  31. 
**Matt.  xvi.   21.  '^John  xii.   33.  ''Matt.  xx.   28. 


Himself.  103 

than  that  of  some  other  men  who  have  passed 
that  way.^^  Still,  he  dies  like  no  other  man. 
No  one  could  take  away  his  life,  he  being  un- 
willing. '*I  lay  it  down  of  myself."  ^^  He  was 
bound,  not  by  fetters,  but  by  a  sanctified  pur- 
pose, dedicating  him  to  loyalty  and  to  love. 
*'The  cup  which  the  Father  hath  given  me, 
shall  I  not  drink  it?"^*  ''The  good  shepherd 
layeth  down  his  life  for  the  sheep."  ^^ 

It  has  been  seen  that  his  whole  life  of  service 
was  a  message  and  an  example,  and  a  burden- 
bearing;  but  it  is  equally  clear  that  in  his  view, 
if  he  had  failed  to  die,  his  whole  mission  would 
have  been  a  failure.  ''Therefore  doth  the 
Father  love  me  because  I  lay  down  my  life  that 
1  may  take  it  again."  "^^  "Thus  it  is  written, 
that  the  Christ  should  suffer,  and  rise  again 
from  the  dead  the  third  day ;  and  that  repent- 
ence  and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached 
in  his  name  unto  all  the  nations."  "^^  The  giv- 
ing of  his  life  had  a  definite  meaning  to  him. 
Led  by  the  purpose  to  weaken  the  doctrine  of 
his  sacrificial  death,  some  think  that  they  are 

"^Luke  xxii.  44.  "^  John  x.  18.  '^  John  xvifi.  15. 

'^Luke  xxii.  44.  "John  x.  18.  "*  John  xviii.  11. 


I04  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

teaching  truth  when  they  assert  that  the  "giv- 
ing of  his  life"  meant  what  those  words  might 
mean  in  the  indefinite  EngHsh,  if  one  should 
say  a  man  gave  his  life  to  a  cause ;  that  is,  gave 
the  whole  course  of  his  life.  Let  it  be  noted 
that  in  Greek  there  are  three  words  which 
mean  life:  /Jioc,"^^  meaning  the  course  of  life, 
or  one's  active  existence;  C^^/^  meaning  the 
life  principle,  or  life  in  the  abstract ;  and  (poyrfjy  '^ 
meaning  the  life  that  is  lost  with  the  pouring 
out  of  the  blood.  It  is  life  in  this  last  sense 
that  one  may  stake  in  battle,  or  give  for  his 
country.  It  is  this  idea  of  life,  the  word  (poyij^ 
v/hich  in  the  Gospels  is  used  with  the  possessive 
pronouns;  and  this  is  the  life  which  Jesus 
speaks  of  when  he  says,  "I  lay  down  my 
life."  '^^  No  man  ever  gave  himself  in  service 
with  more  untiring  devotion  than  he.  But  this 
is  not  what  was  in  his  mind  when  he  spoke  of 
being  "lifted  up  from  the  earth,"  ^^  and  giving 
"his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  '^'^  Teaching  and 
living  might  cure  the  ignorance  of  men,  and 
lead  them  to  miss  some  of  the  natural  conse- 

"  Luke  viii.  14.  "  John  i.  4.  ^*  Matt.  ii.  20. 

"John  X.  17,  comp.  Matt.  xx.  28.     ^"  John  iii.  14;  xii.  34. 

"  Matt.  XX.  28. 


Himself.  105 

quences  of  sin.  The  hard  problem  was  to  lib- 
erate them  from  the  obligation  to  punishment.^^ 
His  people  shall  not  perish.'^^  If  he  is  lifted 
up,  they  shall  have  eternal  life.^^ 

He  is  no  more  ignorant  of  the  reason  for  his 
death  than  he  is  of  the  fact.     He  studies  the 
fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah,  and  finds  it  de- 
scribing what  he  came  to  do.»^    He  talks  of  his 
death  with  Moses  and  Elijah  on  the  mount,^^ 
perhaps  instructing  them,  or  else  assuring  his 
own  human  heart  by  converse  with  men  who 
knew  his  glory ;  and  then,  in  plain  speech,  tells 
his  disciples  that  the  "Good  Shepherd  layeth 
down  his  life  for  the  sheep."  ^^     "The  Son  of 
man  gives  his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  ^*     Of 
himself  he  lays  down  his  life,  and  the  Father 
loves  him  for  so  doing.^^     There  is  no  doubt, 
then  about  his  understanding  the  reason   of 
what  he  does.     The  labor  was  to  make  them 
understand,  for  they  were  "foolish  men,  and 
slow  of  heart  to  believe  in  all  that  the  prophets 
had  spoken."  ^^     Again  and  again  he  returns 
to  the  subject.^^     His  disciples,  knowing  not 

"Luke  xxiv.  46.  47.      "John  x.  28.      »» John  in.  14,  15. 

«i  Luke  xviii.  32;  xxiv.  46.     ''  Luke  ix.  31.     "  John  x.  11. 

»*Matt.  XX.  28.  «'John  x.  17.  »« Luke  xxiv.  25. 

"Matt.  xvi.  21;   xx.  17,  18;   xxvi.  12,  31. 


io6  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  reason,  cannot  believe  the  fact.^^  Perhaps 
to  their  minds  the  clearest  statement  comes  near 
the  close  of  the  conflict.^^  With  the  sacrifice  of 
the  paschal  lamb  immediately  before  him,  the 
body  of  the  lamb  and  the  blood  of  the  lamb 
vividly  present  to  the  minds  of  the  devout  men 
who  followed  him,  he  takes  a  loaf  of  bread  and 
says,  'This  is  my  body"  (not  the  lamb's).  And 
the  cup  he  takes  and  says,  "This  is  my  blood 
(not  the  lamb's)  which  is  poured  out  for  you." 
At  the  paschal  supper,  to  speak  words  like  these 
could  mean  only  one  thing.  Jesus  believed  he 
was  about  to  die  for  men  in  a  sense  similar  to 
that  in  which  the  Passover  lamb  was  slain  for 
them.  As  the  paschal  lamb  was  given  to  re- 
deem the  first-born  of  Israel,  so  the  Son  of  man 
came  *'to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  ^^ 
And  when  the  suffering  was  all  over,  before 
ascending  into  the  ineffable  glory,  he  tarries 
with  them  for  a  little  while,  tenderly  urging 
upon  them  the  thought  that  it  was  right  for 
him  so  to  die.^^  After  passing  through  the 
darkness,  because  he  knew  the  necessity  and  the 
glory  to  come,  he  approves  the  way  and  the 

"  Matt.  xvi.  22.        ««  Luke  xx.  14-20.        '•°  Luke  xxiv.  44. 


Himself.  107 

result.  "Behooved  it  not  the  Christ  to  suffer 
these  things  and  to  enter  into  his  glory?"  ^^ 
The  final  gospel  is  that  sins  are  remitted 
through  a  ransom,  and  that  Jesus  Christ  is  that 
ransom.^^ 

To  undertake  such  a  work,  even  on  a  small 
scale,  would  mark  a  man  either  great  or  insane ; 
but  how  sublime  is  Jesus!  He  does  this  for 
the  world.^^  He  stands,  in  his  view,  a  man 
and  God,^^  between  men  and  God.^^  He  is  ab- 
solutely essential  to  every  human  soul.^^  For 
knowledge,  guidance,  life  —  for  all  spiritual 
good,  men  need  him,^^  and  failing  to  find  him 
are  lost.^^  His  power  is  unlimited,^^  and  his 
station  is  the  station  of  God.^^  ''Me,  men  must 
honor  and  serve,  and  trust  as  they  do  the  eter- 
nal God."  ^^^  "Me,  men  may  worship,^ ^^  and 
call  by  the  names  that  belong  to  God  alone.^^^ 

So  loving  and  so  high  is  he,  that  my  soul 
may  fly  toward  him  through  all  the  ages  that 
my  soul  shall  live ;  and  if  my  soul,  or  any  other 

"^  Luke  xxiv.  26.       "^  L^j^g  ^xiv.  46,  47. 

"'John  iif.  16;  compare  1  John  ii.  2.    "*  John  x.  33-36. 

»5  John  xiv.  6.       »« John  vi.  53.       »^  John  iii.  18. 

»«Matt.  ix.  27.      »« John  xvii.  5.      ""John  v.  23. 

"^  John  ix.  38.       "^  John  xx.  28. 


io8  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

human  soul,  is  thirsty,  or  hungry,  or  weary, 
Jesus  taught  and  Jesus  beHeved  that  in  himself 
alone  were  drink  and  food  and  rest  to  be  found. 
'The  bread  of  God  is  that  which  cometh  down 
out  of  heaven,  and  giveth  life  unto  the 
world."  1^3  '^i  ^^  ^i^e  bread  of  life;  he  that 
cometh  to  me  shall  not  hunger,  and  he  that  be- 
lieveth  on  me  shall  never  thirst."  ^^^  ''Come 
unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest."  ^^^  May  I  think  the 
thoughts  of  Jesus  after  him,  and  his  creed  be- 
come my  creed,  so  that  he  may  be  to  me  all 
that  he  is,  all  that  he  believed  himself  to  be. 

^"»John  vi.  33.  ^<>*John  vi.  35.  "'Matt.  xi.  28. 


VII. 

Redeemed  Men. 
"He  himself  knew  what  was  in  man." — John  ii.  25. 

^T^HE  boundary  line  between  knowledge  and 
-■-  faith  is  sometimes  hard  to  fix.  What  a 
man  knows  makes  up  a  part  of.  his  system  of 
belief,  and  what  he  believes  slowly  grows  into 
a  form  of  knowledge  for  him.  We  are  clearly 
told  that  Jesus,  in  his  far-reaching  view,  knew 
what  was  in  man;  knows  even  the  false  and 
the  openly  opposed  ;^  doubly  then  does  he  know 
the  man  that  is  his  own,  for  the  new  and  great 
things  in  this  man  are  the  work  of  his  own 
hands  in  a  peculiar  sense.^  Like  a  skillful 
workman,  he  has  passed  through  the  tangled 
wood  of  this  world,  and,  with  a  keen  eye,  has 
selected  here  and  there  a  tree  out  of  which  he 
will  form  the  beams  and  pillars  for  the  temple 
he  is  building.^ 

^ John  11.  24.        2 John  x.  28;  xvll.  6-8.        'John  xv.  16. 


no  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

He  makes  no  mistakes.*  He  is  se'tting  up  a 
kingdom,^  and  that  kingdom  is  not  a  place  with 
geographical  boundaries,  but  simply  a  kingdom 
of  men  —  men  who  erstwhile  were  subjects  of 
an  alien  power, ^  but  now,  by  a  divine  process 
of  naturahzation,  have  been  transferred  into  a 
new  kingdom,  and  fitted,  by  throwing  off  their 
old  allegiance  and  by  renewal  of  their  very  na- 
ture, to  take  upon  them  the  obligations  of  this 
new  King.  ''Whosoever  he  be  of  you  that 
renounceth  not  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be 
my  disciple."  ^  "Except  ye  turn,  and  become 
as  little  children,  ye  shall  in  nowise  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven."  *  "Except  one  be 
born  anew,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God."  9 

We  wish  to  get  his  view  of  these  redeemed 
ones.  He  has  made  them  to  differ  from  com- 
mon men,^^  and  loves  them  in  a  peculiar  way,^^ 
for,  divide  the  world  as  you  please,  his  portion 
is  his  people.  This  may  have  no  value  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world,  which  thinks  that  the  be- 


*  John  vi.  64.  '  Matt.  iv.  17.  «  John  xv.  19. 

^  Luke  xiv.  33.  *  Matt,  xviii.  3.  "  John  iii.  3. 

^"John  XV.  14-16.  ^^  John  xiv.  21-23. 


Redeemed  Men.  i  i  i 

liever  only  pretends  to  a  life  in  any  way  dif- 
ferent from  the  life  of  other  men,  and  the  re- 
deemed man  himself   may   sometimes   lightly 
esteem  the  work  that  has  been  done  for  him, 
and  be  ignorant  of  its  value,  like  a  man  who, 
for  a  life-time,  labors  to  secure  a  scant  living 
from  a  stingy  soil,  while  ignorant  that  every 
day   he   walks   above   a   mine   of   exhaustless 
riches.    But  what  says  Jesus  ?    He  knows  men 
— knows  what  they  have  been  and  are — knows, 
too,  the  grand  conception  that  fills  his  mind,^^ 
and  after  which  he  is  forming  every  child  of 
God;    knows  how  weak  the  new  life  is,^^.  and 
knows,  too,  how  hard  the  old  life  dies,^^  and 
yet  believes  in  man  —  sees  more  in  him  than 
has  been  seen  before  —  and  because  he  knows, 
or  in  spite  of  knowing,  believes  in  him  —  be- 
lieves in  his  future  and  trusts  him.      'They 
shall   never   perish."  ^^      ''I   have    called    you 
friends."  ^^ 

I.  These  men  have  experienced  a  great 
change.  Jesus  tells  us  what  this  change  is,  and 
who  brings  it  about,  but  just  how  the  change 

12  Luke  XX.  29,  30.  ^^  Matt.  xii.  20;  Mark  ix.  42. 

"  Luke  ix.  49,  54.  '» John  x.  28.  '"  John  xv.  15. 


112  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

is  produced  he  does  not  explain.  He  does 
insist/*^  however,  that  it  is  not  merely  intel- 
lectual enlightenment.  No  teacher,  though  he 
be  come  from  God,  can  by  simple  teaching  pro- 
duce this  great  result.  Nor  is  it  a  mere  going 
back  to  the  comparative  innocence  of  child- 
hood, however  great  a  miracle  that  would  be. 
A  man  might  literally  be  born  again,  and  yet 
no't  know  what  this  great  thing  is  of  which  he 
speaks ;  still,  it  is  a  new  birth,  for  he  must  use 
a  figure  of  speech  from  common  life  in  order 
to  bring  down  the  new  thought  to  minds  that 
have  never  risen  so  high  as  this.  A  new  birth, 
and,  stranger  still,  a  ''passing  out  of  death  into 
life,"  ^^  he  calls  it.  What  can  this  possibly 
mean  concerning  the  living  spirits  of  men? 
"Except  ye  eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  ]man  and 
drink  his  blood,  ye  have  not  life  in  your- 
selves." ^^  "The  Son  also  giveth  life  to  whom 
he  will."  20 

To  each  person  of  the  trinity  he  ascribes  the 
power  to  work  this  marvel  in  the  life  of  men.^^ 

"  For  following,  examine  John  fii.  1-15.       "  John  v.  24. 

"John  vi.  53.  *»John  v.   21. 

"To  the  Father,  John  vi.  44;   to  the  Son,  John  v.  21; 

X.  28;  to  the  Spirit,  John  iil.  5. 


Redeemed  Men.  113 

Men  must  believe  ^^  and  come,^^  but  God  gives 
eternal  life  or  quickens  the  dead,  or  is  author 
of  the  new  birth ;  ^^  still  he  tells  us  not  how,  nor 
does  he  tell  us  this  unless  it  be  under  the  like- 
ness of  another  wonderful  thing.^^  A  stricken 
Israelite,  in  obedience  to  God's  command, 
looked  upon  a  brazen  serpent,  and  lo!  the 
doomed  and  dying  man  went  free  and  well. 
What  cured  him?  Unless  we  say  God,  we 
know  not  what  to  say.  But  how  ?  Ah !  there 
the  Saviour  speaks  to  our  pride  and  says:  "I 
am  talking  about  things  that  I  know,  and  of 
v/hich  other  teachers  in  Israel  are  ignorant. 
You  will  understand  when  your  faith  has 
grown  a  little  stronger."  ^^ 

It  is  easier  for  us  to  know  the  greatness  of 
the  work  than  it  is  to  know  its  nature.  Results 
are  clearer  than  causes.  There  is  a  point  at 
which  life  and  death  may  stand  so  close  that 
we  can  scarcely  distinguish  a  dividing  line; 
still,  they  are  separated  by  the  boundless  gulf 
that  divides  the  living  from  the  dead.  So  these 
new-born  people  may  stand  so  close  to  the  bor- 

«  John  iii.  18.  ^^  John  v.  40.  ^  John  fii.  14.  ^'  John  iii.  9-12. 


114  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

der-line  that  to  human  eyes  they  appear  very 
Jike  the  men  on  the  other  side ;  yet  to  the  eyes 
of  Jesus  there  is  a  gulf  so  wide  that  no  man 
can  cross  it,  save  by  divine  power.^^  His  view- 
will  become  our  view  when  we  consider  his 
teaching  as  to  the  old  status  of  these  men,  and 
as  to  the  new  status  of  these  men. 

I.  The  old  status.  This  was  made  up  of  a 
relation  and  a  condition.  A  man,  before  Jesus 
finds  him  and  begins  his  wondrous  work,  is  a 
child  of  the  devil,  with  a  strong  family  likeness 
to  the  father,^"^  and  he  is  so  opposed  to  the 
wooings  of  the  Saviour's  love,  so  far  away  and 
dead,  that  he  cannot  come  to  the  light  unless 
the  Father  draw  him.^^  His  face  to  the  devil, 
his  back  to  God.  In  love  with  sin,  hating  the 
good.^^  His  condition  may  be  truly  described 
as  blind,^^  unable  even  to  see  the  grace  and  love 
of  God;  as  bound,  drawn  away  and  held  by 
ties  which  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  break ;  as 
bruised,  beaten  by  God's  judgments  and  his 
own  conscience,  as  well  as  by  the  hard  service 
of  the  devil;    as  broken-hearted,   forlorn  and 


=«  John  vi.  44.  "' Matt.  xfii.  38;  John  viii.  44. 

28  John  iii.  20;  xv.  18.     ^^  See  Luke  iv.  18. 


Redeemed  Men.  115 

hopeless,  with  noble  aspirations  gone,  and  de- 
spair hastening  on  —  altogether  in  a  condition 
of  absolute  poverty,  like  the  poverty  of  the 
prodigal  Who  has  spent  all,  and  who  in  the  time 
of  stress  has  no  friends.^^ 

2.  The  new  status.  Jesus  comes  to  a  man, 
lean  and  miserable  and  estranged  from  God, 
and  by  this  mighty  work  of  which  I  am  speak- 
ing, graciously  gives  life  where  death  reigned,^^ 
sight  and  light,  instead  of  blindness  and  dark- 
ness ;^2  liberates  the  captive,  heals  the  broken- 
hearted, nor  stops  until  he  has  taken  these  chil- 
dren of  the  devil,  and  made  them  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty.^^  This 
does  not  mean  such  a  sonship  only  as  may  be 
claimed  by  all  men,  by  reason  of  creation  and 
tlie  general  love  of  God  for  men  ^* —  it  makes 
a  man  a  brother  of  Jesus  Christ  and  a  child  of 
his  Father.  Who  are  my  brethren?  "Whoso- 
ever shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father,  he  is  my 
brother."  ^^  And  mark  how,  after  the  resur- 
rection, he  sends  a  message  to  his  brethren,  not 
to  the  world.     "Go  unto  my  brethren,  and  say 

*°  Luke  XV.  14-16.  »'  John  xvii.  2.  ''  John  viii.  12. 

"Luke  vi.  35;   compare  2  Cor.  vi.  18.         "John  viii.  41. 

35  Matt.  xii.  48-50. 


ii6  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

to  them,  I  ascen'd  unto  my  Father  and  your 
Father,  and  unto  my  God  and  your  God."  ^® 
That  loving  message  went  out  to  a  chosen  few, 
nor  could  it  with  reason  or  truth  have  gone 
to  men  at  large  who  despised  and  hated  him. 
"If   God   were   your   Father,   ye  would   love 
me"  ^"^ —  and   no   man   who   is   indifferent   to 
Christ  or  inimical  to  Christ  has  a  right  to  say 
"My  Father"  in  this  high  sense.     Where  the 
filial  spirit  is  not  found,  that  form  of  words 
would  be  a  mockery.     This  transformation  of 
a  doomed  enemy  into  a  son  who  is  heir  to  all 
the  promises  was  in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  a  real 
and  a  mighty  change. 

II.  But  not  only  was  this  change  great.  He 
believed  the  gift  of  God,  man's  new  possession, 
to  be  of  priceless  value.  There  is  in  it  some- 
thing not  desirable  only,  but  essential  to  man — 
so  essential  that  though  he  gain  the  whole 
world,  if  he  miss  this  he  is  a  bankrupt  still.^® 
Put  the  world  on  one  side,  and  this  simple  gift 
on  the  other,  and  the  wise  trader  will  take 
this.^^     Worldly  possessions  are  bought  too 

»«  John  XX.  17.  ""  John  viif.  42.  »«  Mark  viii.  36. 

»"Matt.  xiii.  45,  46. 


Redeemed  Men.  117 

dear,  if  the  price  be  the  man  who  seeks  them, 
or  even  if  they  cost  his  life,  but  here  is  a 
treasure  for  which  one  may  well  lay  down  this 
present  life,  for  in  so  doing  he  gains  himself, 
and  for  himself  a  more  enduring  life."*^  But 
the  gift  is  not  simply  of  great  intrinsic  value. 
It  must  also  be  estimated  by  its  guarantees. 
He  gives  two : 

1.  The  redeemed  man  is  insured  against 
loss.  No  man  shall  die  with  Jesus  in  his  debt. 
Turn  away,  give  up,  surrender  worldly  good, 
and  you  will  receive  more."^^  Go  forth  and 
serve  by  following  and  by  doing,  and  not  even 
a  cup  of  cold  water  will  I  forget.*^  I  will  not 
suffer  any  man  to  lose  by  me. 

2.  He  also  gives  a  guarantee  for  the  future. 
Trust  on,  and  labor  on,  and  your  work  will 
stand;  and  better  still,  ye  too  shall  stand. 
Against  my  building,  my  body,  the  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail,^^  and  my  men  shall  stand 
up  against  wind  and  flood,  like  houses  built  on 
rocks,  as  solid  as  the  rocks  themselves.** 

HI.  Though  this  possession  was  of  price- 

"  Mark  viii.  35.  "  Mark  x.  28-30.  "  Matt.  x.  42. 

*'Matt.  xvi.  18.  ■"Matt.  vii.  24,  25. 


ii8  .  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

less  value,  Jesus  believed  that  it  was  of  increas- 
ing richness.  The  new-born,  the  redeemed 
man,  is  at  the  worst  richer  than  any  natural 
man  can  ever  be,  but  is  by  no  means  so  rich 
as  he  may,  nay,  as  he  will  be.  Only  place  these 
two  principles  together,  and  see  if  there  is  any 
process  known  to  us  by  which  this  man's  wealth 
may  be  estimated,  (a)  The  good  seed  in  good 
ground  brings  forth  an  hundredfold,*^  and  (b) 
*'Unto  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given."  *^ 
The  soil,  richer  each  day  by  divine  grace,  re- 
ceiving new  increments  of  seed  at  the  hand  of 
the  divine  Husbandman,  then  receiving  more 
and  more  according  as  more  and  more  is  pos- 
sessed ! 

The  prayer  of  Jesus  for  his  people  holds  in 
its  lap  the  same  blessed  principle:  ''Sanctify 
them  in  the  truth ;"  ^"^  set  them  apart  and  make 
them  holy  by  means  of  thy  divine  truth;  and 
the  truth  comes  as  the  light  breaks,  gradually. 
Thus  we  can  bear  it.*^  The  more  of  truth  is 
brought  to  bear,  and  the  more  what  is  brought 
to  bear  produces  its  desired  results,*^  the  larger 

*"  Matt.  xiii.  S3.  "  Matt.  xxv.  29.  "  John  xvii.  17. 

"John  xvi.  12,  13.  "John  xv.  3. 


Redeemed  Men.  119 

our  minds  and  hearts  become,  and  the  holier 
we  grow.    To  know  God  is  for  the  regenerate 
heart  to  love  him.     To  know  him  more  is  to 
love  him  more ;   and  love  will  grow  for  me  as 
long  as  new  views  of  him  shall  break  upon  my 
soul.     It  is  idle  to  talk  of  Sinless  Perfection, 
the   result,   being  complete  before  truth,   the 
means,  has  been  exhausted.     To  say  that  we 
are  intrinsically  and  perfectly  holy  is  to  say 
that  we  know  all  of  God's  truth,  and  that  that 
truth  has  finished  its  beneficent  workings  in  us. 
Our  Saviour's  view  was  that  his  people  were 
moved  upon  by  an  inexhaustible  power,^^  and 
were  receivers  of  boundless  gifts,^^  which  grew 
richer  and  larger  as  men  were  able  to  receive 
them.52 

IV.  These  things  the  Saviour  held,  and  one 
other  besides  them.  He  believed  that  these 
men  became  objects  of  personal  concern  and 
regard  on  the  part  of  God  himself.  "If  any 
man  serve  me,  him  will  my  Father  honor,"  ^^ 
and  "my  Father  will  love  him."  ^*  He  will 
keep  them  so  safe  that  no  one  shall  be  able  to 


"*«  John  xvii.  2.  ^^  John  fv.  10;  Luke  xxii.  29,  30. 

^^  John  xvi.  12.  '^  John  xii.  26.  '*  John  xiv.  23. 


I20  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

pluck  them  out  of  his  hand.^^  When  they 
cry,  he  will  rise  to  avenge  their  wrongs ;  ^^ 
and  woe  betide  the  man  that  meets  God  angry 
because  one  of  his  little  ones  has  been  en- 
snared.^^  He  considers  their  needs  in  his 
providential  control  ^^  and  in  his  judgments  on 
the  world,  and  for  their  sakes  he  shortens  the 
awful  days  of  the  final  misery.  "And  except 
those  days  had  been  shortened,  no  flesh  would 
have  been  saved ;  but  for  the  elect's  sake  those 
days  shall  be  shortened."  ^^ 

We  are  not  much  in  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
and  in  our  own  eyes  we  are  weak  and  helpless 
men;  but  it  is  grand  to  have  God  bestowing 
rich  gifts  upon  us,  and  fashioning  these  lives 
until  we  become  something  to  him  ^^  —  men 
for  whom  he  has  spent  more  than  for  all  the 
world  besides,^^  to  whom  he  has  given  more 
than  to  the  angels  in  heaven,^^  and  for  whom 
the  future  holds  richer  gifts  than  it  is  possible 
to  conceive  ^^  —  these  men  he  loves. 

Jesus  knew  all  this ;  Jesus  believed  all  this ; 
Jesus  believed  in  these  men,  their  present  worth 

«  John  X.  29.  '"'  Luke  xviii.  7.  "  Matt,  xviii.  6. 

"  Matt.  vi.  30-32.    '»  Matt.  xxiv.  22.    *>  Matt,  xviii.  12-14. 
«  Mark  xii.  1.  ""^  John  fii.  16.  "'  John  xvii.  24. 


Redeemed  Men.  121 

and  their  future  wealth ;  he  beheved  that  when 
his  work  for  them  was  done,  they  would  be 
worthy  and  capable  of  bearing  these  great 
honors  —  the  men  would  meet  the  event ;  ^* 
and  he  sets  them  in  the  world  as  the  stars  of 
heaven  are  set  —  some  for  beauty,  to  gladden 
the  hearts  of  all  with  eyes  to  see ;  some  as  stars 
of  hope,  telling  of  a  coming  day,  and  by  their 
brightness  turning  men  to  think  of  what  a  man 
will  be  when  the  full  day  comes  in  all  its  splen- 
dor; and  some  as  guides,  steady  as  the  very 
pole  star  is  steady,  to  call  men  back  that  are 
lost,  and  leading,  with  God's  own  light,  the 
wanderers  through  the  wilderness  of  this 
v/orld.  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world.  Let 
your  light  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see 
your  good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  who 
is  in  heaven."  ^^  It  is  desirable  that  this  faith 
of  Jesus  should  become  our  faith.  God's  child 
should  bdieve  in  and  love  God's  children.^^  To 
step  from  death  to  life  is  a  mighty  stride ;  ^^ 
to  have  Christ  is  to  be  rich;^^  to.  be  heir  of 
God  is  ineffable  glory ;  ^^  these  men  are  the 
world's  nobility.'^^ 

•*Matt.  X.  23;  compare  Rev.  iii.  4.  ^^  Matt.  v.  14,  16. 

•*  John  XV.  12.  "  John  v.  24.  **  Matt.  xiii.  14. 

«•  Matt.  XXV.  34.  '»  Matt.  xi.  11. 


VIII. 
The  Kingdom. 

"Jesus  came  into  Galilee,  preaching  the  gospel  of  God 
and  saying :  Tue  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  kingdom  of  God 
is  at  hand ;  repent  ye,  and  believe  in  the  gospel." — Mark 
i.  14,  15. 

/^^  OD  reigns.  But  there  is  a  narrow  and  a 
^-^  broad  scope  to  this  idea.  Just  as  he  is  the 
Father  of  all  men,  but  in  a  special  sense  the 
Father  of  those  that  believe,  so  he  is  King  over 
an  essential  and  universal  kingdom ;  but  is  also 
King  in  a  new  and  revealed  sense  of  a  certain 
restricted  kingdom,  which  in  the  word  of 
Jesus  is  variously  described  as  the  ''kingdom 
of  heaven"  ^  and  the  ''kingdom  of  God."  ^ 
This  name,  in  one  point  of  view,  contains 
Christ's  ideal  for  his  people ;  but  when  we  have 
purpose  and  power  to  accomplish  them,  ideals 
constitute  also  a  part  of  our  creed. 

This  special  reign  of  God  in  the  Messiah  had 

^Matt.  V.  3.  Matt.  xii.  28. 


The  Kingdom.  123 

been  spoken  of  by  the  prophets.^  And  in  the 
time  of  Christ  not  a  few  of  the  people,  with  a 
real  heart-sickness  at  the  stress  of  the  times, 
and  the  deferred  hope,  were  waiting  for  it.* 
Only  Jesus  fully  understood  the  sort  that  this 
kingdom  was  to  be.  The  King  makes  the  king- 
dom, and  the  unearthly  King  brings  in  a  king- 
dom, not  of  this  world,  but  spiritual.^  A  king- 
dom that  may  be  in  a  single  heart,^  and  yet 
which  contains  all  the  hearts  of  all  the  lovers 
of  God.^ 

Not  Moses  himself,  bearing  a  message  of 
deliverance  to  oppressed  Israel,  could  have  re- 
joiced more  than  did  Jesus  when,  to  his  own 
benighted  generation,  he  lifted  up  his  voice  and 
preached  the  blessed  gospel  of  the  glorious 
kingdom.^  The  King  himself  preaches  the 
gospel  of  the  kingdom;  and  in  this  term  he 
also  comprehends  the  sum  of  all  the  preaching 
of  all  the  preachers  sent  by  him  to  the  end  of 
time.  *'And  as  ye  go,  preach,  saying.  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  ^     Some  mis- 

»Isa.  ix.  6,  7;   Dan.  ii.  44.  *  Luke  ii.  25,  38. 

''John  xviii.  36.  « Mark  x.  15.  ''Matt.  xfii.  38. 

«Matt.  iv.  23.  » Comp.  Matt.  x.  7;  Luke  x.  9;  Matt. 

xxiv.  14;  Acts  i.  3;  viii.  12. 


124  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

understood  his  meaning;  ^^  some  wrested  his 
meaning,  in  ofder  to  destroy  him;  ^^  but  he  is 
not  shaken.  His  first  proclamation  is  this/^ 
and  his  last  confession  is  this :  ^^  '^1  am  a  King, 
and  I  have  a  kingdom."  In  his  preaching,  he 
declares  the  kingdom  to  be  near  —  so  near  that 
it  furnishes  a  reason  for  immediate  action  on 
the  part  of  all  who  hear.  Prepare ;  repent,  for 
the  kingdom  comes.^^  It  comes  as  does  the 
gentle  spring,  without  noise  or  observation.^'* 
It  is  within  you;  ^^  it  will  come  with  manifest 
power  in  the  lives  of  men  now  living;^®  the 
signs  of  its  power  are  the  overthrow  of  evil, 
and  the  building  up  of  good.^'''  It  is  this  pecu- 
liar kingdom  —  not  the  essential  sovereignty 
of  God  —  for  which  his  people  are  instructed 
to  pray,  when  they  say,  'Thy  kingdom 
come."  ^^  We  call  that  faith  strong  which  en- 
ables one  to  give  substance  to  things  unseen. 
To  the  heart  of  Jesus  other  kingdoms  seemed 
unsubstantial,  while  this  unseen  kingdom  was 
real  and  eternal. ^^    From  his  various  proclama- 

"  Luke  xiv.  15.           "  Luke  xxiii.  12.  "  Matt.  iv.  17. 

"John  xvlii.  37.         "Luke  xvii.  20.  "Luke  xvfi.  21. 

"  Mark  ix.  11.          "  Matt.  xii.  25-30.  "  Matt.  vi.  10. 

"Matt.   xxiv.   1-31. 


The  Kingdom.  125 

tions  there  comes  to  us  of  the  cruder  sight  a 
revelation  of  the  things  which  his  heart  saw, 
and  we  can  learn  out  of  his  lips  the  following 
points  concerning  that  kingdom  of  which  he 
is  King,  and  of  which  redeemed  men  are  the 
subjects. 

I.  The  gate  of  entrance  into  the  kingdom 
of  God  coincides  with  the  new  birth.  "Except 
one  be  born  anew,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God."  2^  We  have  seen  how  Jesus  believed 
that  men  untouched  by  him  belong  to  a  hostile 
kingdom. ^^  The  accretions  to  his  kingdom 
ccme  from  the  spoils  of  that ;  ^^  still  are  they 
unfit  for  him  until  his  great  power  not  only 
transfers  them,  but  transforms  them,  as  by  a 
new  creation. 2^  They,  on  their  part,  by  re- 
pentance throw  off  the  old  allegiance,^*  and 
by  faith  take  on  the  new.  Men  are  not  to  rest 
like  stones,  to  be  bodily  lifted.  Their  duty  is 
to  strive  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ.^^ 
And  though  they  have  great  obstacles  like  the 
love   of   riches,^®    and   though   they   be   dead 


«» John  iii.  3.  "  See  Chap.  IV.  "  Matt.  xii.  29. 

"  John  V.  21.  ^  Mark  i.  15.  "  Luke  xiii.  24-28. 

*»Mark  x.  24. 


126  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

toward  the  claims  of  God,  as' the  eyes  of  Bar- 
timaeus  were  dead  to  the  light,  yet  are  they 
bound  like  him  to  put  forth  every  power  of 
mind  and  of  heart  that  is  yet  alive  —  reason, 
memory,  imagination,  conscience  —  tO'  bring 
the  dead  part  of  themselves  to  Jesus.^^  The 
amiable,  honest,  ingenuous  man  may  be  near 
the  kingdom,  while  still  without  its  bounds.^^ 
To  make  the  transfer,  actually  to  cross  over 
the  boundary  line,  means  the  cutting  away  of 
every  tie  which  binds  one  to  that  other  life. 
"Whosoever  he  be  of  you  that  renounceth  not 
all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  my  disciple."  ^^ 
Not  only  does  he  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  this,  he  foreswears  his  allegiance  to  that 
kingdom. 

II.  The  members  of  this  kingdom,  as  it  lay 
in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  possess  certain  unusual 
cliaracteristics,  and  in  possessing  them  are 
genuine.  They  do  not  merely  pretend  to  ad- 
mire or  to  obey  the  commands.  They  are  real 
men,  who  do  what  they  say,^^  and  when  they 
build,  build  upon  the  eternal  rock.^^     They  are 


»^Mark  x.  46-52.  ^s  j^^j.!^  ^n.  34.  =^»Luke  xiv.  33. 

3"  Matt.  vii.  21;  xxiii.  3.  "Matt.  vii.  24. 


The  Kingdom.  127 

kmd  to  others'  faults,^^  severe  upon  their 
own.^^  They  do  not  go  about  making  a  dis- 
play of  what  they  do  or  do  not  possess.^*  What 
is  seen  in  them  is  the  shining  out  of  a  real 
principle,  which  simply  cannot  be  hid.^^  This 
genuineness  is  a  pervasive  quality  that  attaches 
to  everything  that  this  new  man  does.  In 
every  department  of  his  being,  in  every  mark 
that  is  mentioned  below,  this  must  be  under- 
stood —  he  is  not  a  hypocrite.^^ 

I.  Unworldliness.  In  general  terms,  this 
would  mean  that  his  foreswearing  of  allegiance 
to  the  old  kingdom  was  genuinely  done.  Jesus 
could  see  a  man  in  which  this  had  gone  so  far 
that  he  loves  not  and  serves  not  the  self  to 
w'hich  that  old  world  ministers  ^^  —  a  man  to 
whom  the  new  kingdom  and  the  new  King  are 
Rrst  ^^  —  a  man  who  does  not  even  seek  the 
temporal  accessories  that  go  with  the  well- 
being  of  the  new  service,^^  —  in  a  word,  a  man 
who  has  made  a  complete  transfer  of  his  affec- 
tions, and  lives  from  a  new  set  of  motives.  He 
now  does  not  serve  mammon.*^ 

»*  Luke  vi.  36,  37.       '» Matt.  v.  29,  30.  '*  Matt.  vi.  1-18. 

'''Matt.  V.  14.                         ^«Matt.  vi.  2;    Luke  xii.   1,   2. 

"  Luke  xii.  21,  33.        ^«  Matt.  vi.  33.  **  John  vi.  26,  27. 

"Matt.  vi.  24. 


128  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

2.  Consecration.  This  means  that  though 
he  be  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  the  old  king- 
dom/^ he  is  no  expatriated  wanderer.^^  He 
has  a  new  King,  to  whom  all  his  love  and  all 
his  life  belong.^^  Though  in  this  kingdom 
Jesus  is  King,  he  gave  his  all  to  it,**  and  he 
expects  his  subjects  to  do  as  much.*^  The 
spirit  of  the  King  permeates  the  spirit  of  the 
people.*^  Loyalty  to  Christ  transcends  all 
other  passions.  So  devoted  is  this  man,  that 
for  the  love  of  his  new  Lord  he  can  go  forth 
bearing  a  cross  ready  at  hand  for  his  own 
crucifixion.  "If  any  man  would  come  after 
me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross, 
and  follow  me."  *''' 

Because  of  this  devotion,  certain  strange 
things  come  to  pass.  For  inner  joy  he  is  not 
dependent  upon  the  abundance  of  earthly 
things  which  he  possesses.*^  His  heart  is  ever 
bigger  than  his  hoard.  In  conduct  he  ever 
gives  an  overplus.  What  he  might  be  expected 
to  do  because  he  is  a  man,  he  does;   but  ever 

"  John  viif.  32.  **  John  xii.  26.  «  Matt.  xvii.  37. 

**  John  X.  17.  «  John  xv.  12,  13. 

**Matt.  XX.  26-28;  xviii.  31.  "Matt.  xvi.  24. 

*•  Luke  xii.  15;  Matt.  v.  11.  12. 


The  Kingdom.  129 

does  he  add  the  little  more  which  shows  how 
love  of  Jesus  has  made  him  to  differ  from  the 
world. ^^  In  most  unlikely  places  he  finds  his 
blessings,^^  and  seeks  his  honors  where  other 
men  see  only  shame.^^  When  these  two  things, 
unworldliness  and  consecration,  meet  in  the 
same  man,  you  have  a  subject  of  Jesus'  king- 
dom, a  man  who  turns  from  worldly  things 
without  regret,^^  and  follows  Christ  without 
distraction.  "No  man,  having  put  his  hand  to 
the  plow,  and  looking  back,  is  fit  for  the  king- 
dom of  God."  ^^  If  this  be  the  idea  of  Jesus, 
does  he  find  faith  on  the  earth? 

III.  The  relation  between  the  subject  and 
the  King. 

It  is  difiicult  to  grasp  Christ's  view  of  this 
relation.  The  king  is  absolute  in  power  and 
authority,  but  at  the  same  time  he  exhibits  an 
amazingly  democratic  spirit.  His  people  draw 
near  to  him,  and  he  gives  them  added  power 
to  understand  his  will.^^  They  can  ask  him 
anything  they  wish,^^  and  he  for  love  will  hear 
them.     The  King  is  a  Father  ^®  and  a  Shep- 

*»Luke  vi.  29-36.        "^Matt.  v.  3-12.        "Mark  x.  42-44. 

"Luke  xvii.  31,  32.  "Luke  ix.  62. 

*^John  vii.  17;  xvi.  12,  13.  "John  xv.  7,  16. 

■^Luke  xii.  32. 


130  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

herd,^"^  and  spares  not  himself  to  protect  his 
people.^''  His  laws  are  not  to  tax  and  to  op- 
press them,  but  are  devised  for  their  advan- 
tage ;  ^^  nor  must  they  be  so  interpreted  as  to 
crush  the  people's  life.^^  He  governs  them,  not 
as  a  rebellious  province  would  be  governed,  but 
with  equal  laws  with  those  which  prevail  in 
the  heavenly  kingdom.^^  Those  that  keep 
these  laws  are  close  to  the  heart  of  the  Sov- 
ereign, and  he  will  not  hold  himself  aloof,  but 
will  love  them  so  much  that  he  will  come  down 
into  their  homes  and  abide.  The  King  comes 
down,  the  man  is  lifted  up.  Whence  was  there 
ever  such  a  thougfht  as  this  thought  of  Jesus  — 
men  entering  into  terms  of  mutual  confidence 
with  God.  "If  a  man  love  me  he  will  keep  my 
word:  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we 
will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with 
him."  61 

IV.  The  relation  of  the  members  of  this 
kingdom  to  each  other.  There  being  one  su- 
preme Sovereign,^^  and  every  subject  of  the 
kingdom  being  equally  exalted  by  equal  rights 

"  John  X.  11.  "^  Mark  ii.  27.  ^^  Matt.  xfi.  7. 

^Matt.  vi.  10.  »^  John  xiv.  23.  "''Matt.  xxii.  10. 


The  Kingdom.  131 

of  approach  to  him,  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
one  asserting  preeminence  above  another.^^ 
All  are  brethren.^^  jj^^  right  hand  is  usually 
thought  most  of,  but  this  is  simply  because  it 
has  been  used  most,  and  so  in  this  kingdom  a 
man  may  come  to  the  front  by  urgent,  and  oft- 
times  bitter,  service ;  ^^  but  this  gives  him  no 
rights  of  lordship.  It  is  honor  freely  given, 
not  something  that  he  may  claim.  Jesus  ex- 
pects his  people  to  be  great  after  the  style  that 
he  was  great,^*  and  a  bitter  cup  separates  the 
ordinary  human  spirit  from  the  highest  place.^^ 
The  true  spirit  is  the  child-spirit,^^  opposing 
none  that  honor  the  King,^'''  and  not  being  dis- 
turbed though  others  may  think  but  little  of 
you.^®  Jesus  propounds  a  short,  practical  code, 
by  which  they  may  know  what  to  do.  "What- 
soever ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you, 
even  so  do  ye  also  unto  them."  ^^  This  rule 
is  intended  for  a  measure,  not  for  a  motive  of 
conduct.  When  it  becomes  a  motive,  all  grace 
is  lost.  In  Jesus'  view,  these  men  are  all  kings 
and  all  servants.    His  own  example  shows  that 

«  Matt.  xxii.  10.  «'  Mark  x.  42-45.  »*  Mark  x.  45. 

•°  Matt.  XX.  22.        "  Luke  ix.  46-48.        "*'  Mark  ix.  38,  39. 

*»  Luke  ix.  53-55.  »•  Matt.  vii.  12. 


132  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

there  was  in  his  mind  a  state  in  which  every 
servant  is  brother  to  his  lord/^  and  every  lord 
is  servant  to  his  servants.'''^ '  He  graciously 
puts  great  things  in  the  reach  of  all,  for  he 
measures  work,  not  by  the  amount  done,  but  by 
the  heart  of  the  worker ;  "^^  and  the  Hall  of 
Fame  in  his  kingdom  he  fills  with  heroes  who 
served  so  humbly  and  so  simply  that  they  are 
themselves  surprised  at  their  own  exaltation."^^ 
V.  One  other  thing  remains  to  be  said.  Con- 
fusion has  grown  up  in  the  minds  of  many 
from  the  fact  that  Jesus  seems  to  use  the  ex- 
pression, ''kingdom  of  God,"  in  a  double  sense. 
Often  he  speaks  of  it  as  a  kingdom  to  be  imme- 
diately set  up.  It  is  "at  hand" ;  "^^  it  has  ''come 
nigh" ;  '^^  it  is  "within  you."  ^^  Again  he  uses 
it  as  if  it  would  only  be  realized  with  his 
glorious  return  on  the  clouds  of  heaven.''^ 
This  confusion  is  at  once  removed  by  the  con- 
sideration that  the  king^dom  is  not  two,  but  one. 
The  kingdom  of  God,  which  has  already  been 
set  up,  will  be  gloriously  rounded  out  later; 


'•  John  XV.  15.        "  John  xiii.  14,  15.        "  Mark  xii.  43. 
"Matt.  XXV.   37-40;    xxvi.   13.  '*  Matt.  IV.  17. 

"  Luke  X.  11.        '•  Luke  xvii.  21.        "  Matt.  xvi.  27,  28. 


The  Kingdom.  133 

but  a  man  that  is  in  the  kingdom,  is  in  the 
kingdom.  We  are  serving  now  in  a  distant 
province.  We  shall  be  members  of  the  home 
government  ere  long.  The  Lamb  is  my  light. 
He  also  is  the  lig-ht  of  the  eternal  city.^^  Jesus 
is  my  King,  and  please  God,  I  shall  have  none 
other.  He  is  my  King  for  ever  and  ever.  Let 
us  not  treat  him  as  only  heir-apparent  to  the 
throne,  but  let  us  have  a  coronation  day,  when 
we  shall  take  him  as  King  of  our  hearts  and 
King  of  our  lives.  Jesus  labored,  beUeving 
that  he  would  inherit  a  glorious  kingdom."^^ 
Let  him  have  it. 

"Rev.  xxi.  23.  "John  xviii.  37. 


IX. 
The  Kingdom  in  the  World. 

"As  thou  didst  send  me  into  the  world,  even  so  sent  I 
them  into  the  world." — John  xvii.  18 ;  xx.  21. 

"IV  T  Y  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world/  saith  the 
•^^^  King,  yet  here  we  are,  both  in  the  king- 
dom and  in  the  world.^  The  lord  of  this  world 
also  has  his  servants  here.^  Some  of  the 
world's  folk  have  taken  color  from  basking  in 
the  light  of  the  kingdom,'*  and  some  of  the 
children  of  the  kingdom  have  not  fully  cast  off 
their  old  livery.^  Worse  than  this,  some  of 
those  who  claim  to  belong  to  the  kingdom  are 
<ieceived,^  and  deceive  others;  and  some  who 
truly  believe  have  hid  the  fact  within  their  own 
bosoms."^  We  are  confused,  but  the  faith  of 
Jesus  is  clear.^ 

A  comprehensive  confession  of  his  faith  on 
this  pHDint  may  be  found   in  the   seventeenth 

^John  xviii.36.  ^^  John  xvii.  11.  ^  j^^jj  ^v.  19. 

*  Matt,  xxiii.  27,  28.     ^  Mark  viif.  24.     «  Matt.  vii.  22,  23. 

'John  xii.  42;   xix.  38.  ^John  vi.  64. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       135 

chapter  of  John.     His  prayer  is  what  he  be- 
Heved,  and  this  is  that  for  which  he  prayed: 
a  people  chosen,  changed,  prepared,  sent  out 
among  enemies,  kept  for  a  definite  purpose. 
He  knew  the  intimacies  of  human  life ;  he  had 
felt  the  temperature  of  the  world;   he  believed 
in  the  Father's  promise  to  give  to  him  and  to 
his  people  a  kingdom ;  and  he  had  definite  ideas 
as  to  'how  that  kingdom  should  be  won. 
I.   The  intimacies  of  life. 
The  line  that  separates  his  people  from  the 
people  of  the  world,  though  perfectly  distinct 
to  him,  is  obscure  to  the  eyes  of  other  men,  and 
very  crooked.      In  and  out  it  runs,   dividing 
father    from    child,^     friend    fro'm    friend,^<* 
brother  from  brother,^^  citizen  from  citizen,^^' 
business  partner  from  business  partner.^ ^     So 
intertwined  are  the  two  peoples  that  it  would 
work  great  injury  to  his  own  violently  to  sepa- 
rate them  now.^^     The  great  institutions  of 
life,  the  family  ^^  and  the  state,i^  ^jerive  their 
authority  and  permanence,  not  from  any  other 
source  than  God;    and  men,  by  entering  his 

"Matt.  X.  35.  "Luke  xvii.  34.  "    Matt.  x.  21. 

^  Matt.  X.  11.  "  Luke  xvii.  35.  "  Matt.  xiii.  29. 

^'^Matt.  xix.  4-6.  ^^  John  xix.  11. 


136  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

kingdom,  cease  not  to  be  men,  and  escape  no 
duty  that  is  reasonable  and  becoming  to  other 
men.^''^  His  service  begets  no  mean  spirit.  His 
men  pay  their  dues  to  all,^^  and  they  are  bound 
by  greater  ties  than  other  men,  for  since  Jesus 
has  spoken,  they  do  these  things  rehgiously. 

II.  The  world,  however,  is  inclement. 
Sometimes  the  kingdom  makes  a  stir,  and  men 
endeavor  with  all  their  might  to  rush  into  it;  ^^ 
but  usually  the  world  is  indifferent  or  hostile. 
The  worldly  man  really  does  not  understand 
the  .  nature  and  blessings  of  Christ's  king- 
dom ;  ^^  his  heart  constitutes  an  unresponsive 
soil,  like  the  surface  of  a  rock.^^  To  such  men 
the  invitations  given  and  the  provisions  made 
have  no  attractions.^^  They  see  no  treasure 
hid  within  this  field,^^  and  though  they  be 
indefinitely  seeking  something  that  will  make 
them  rich,  they  have  not  come  as  yet  to  see 
it  here.^^  It  matters  not  who  the  messenger  is, 
or  whether  he  speak  loud  or  soft,  it  is  all  one 
to  them.25 


"  Matt.  xxfi.  21.  "  Matt.  xvii.  24-27.  ^»  Matt.  xi.  12. 
^  Matt.  xiii.  13-17.  *'  Matt.  xiii.  5.  ''  Matt.  xxii.  2-6. 
*»  Matt.  xiii.  44.        "  Matt.  xiii.  45.         ^^  Matt.  xi.  16-19. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       137 

This  indifference  often  passes  into  active 
hostility.  Jesus  was  not  Uke  the  world,  and 
the  world  hated  him.^^  Jesus  rebuked  the 
world,  and  the  world  resented  it.^^  His  very- 
presence  was  ofttimes  not  desired;  it  was 
taken  as  an  interference.^^  When  Jesus  has 
taken  certain  men  of  the  world  and  made  them 
like  himself,  the  world,  being  the  same  old 
world,  hates  in  his  people  the  same  things 
which  it  hated  in  him.^^  If  his  people,  for 
righteousness  or  for  mercy's  sake,  interfere 
with  business,  men  wish  to  drive  them  out. 
Even  their  presence  in  certain  places  is  sharply 
resented.  If  they  are  loyal  to  Jesus,  they,  like 
him,  are  not  wanting  for  a  day  in  the  Gada- 
rene  country.^^  In  1887  a  white-skinned  sea 
captain,  w'ho  plied  between  Yokohama  and 
Shanghai,  would  not  have  a  missionary  to  sit 
at  his  table,  and  said  that  Japan  was  a  heathen 
country,  and  he  desired  it  to  remain  so.  Times 
actually  come  when  it  is  proper  to  say  that  the 
relation  of  the  subjects  of  the  two  kingdoms  is 
like   the   relation   between   the   wolf   and   the 

^  John  XV.  24.  ^^  John  vii.  7.  **  Mark  i.  24. 

^John  XV.   18-20.  '"Matt.  vfii.   34. 


138  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

lamb.^^  At  such  times  the  world  persecutes 
and  kills  and  destroys ;  ^^  at  Other  times  it  uses 
blandishments  to  seduce  the  weak  and  cause 
them  to  stumble.^^  Jesus,  instead  of  delivering 
his  people  at  once  from  dangers  like  these  (a 
thing  he  does  in  a  few  cases),  sends  them  back 
and  leaves  them  in  this  troubled,  hostile  coun- 
try.34 

III.  His  purposes  are  two : 

I.  That  these  men  of  his  may  grow.  The 
world  of  men  is  to  them  like  the  earth  is  to 
seed,  a  place  to  grow  in ;  ^^  and  only  when  they 
have  ripened  to  his  mind,  and  the  harvest-time 
has  come,  will  he  send  forth  the  reapers.^^  A 
man  when  Jesus  finds  him  is  in  many  ways  like 
the  prince  of  this  world,  whom  he  has  been 
serving.^^  His  new  destiny  culminates  in  like- 
ness to  the  new  Prince  who  has  redeemed 
him.^^  The  transforming  life  is  planted  in  his 
heart  by  divine  power,^^  fed  by  divine  truth  *^ 
and  nurtured  by  all  the  resources  of  divine 


"^Luke  X.  3.  8' John  x.  8-10. 

"Matt.  xxfi.  16;   xviii.  7-9.  2*  Luke  viii.  38,   39. 

»Matt.  xiii.  23;   Mark  iv.  26-28.  ^^  Matt.  xiii.  30. 

»^  John  viii.  38.        ^  John  xvif.  16,  24.        ^*  John  xvii.  2. 

*<'John  xvii.  17. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       139 

grace."*^  Even  the  storms  and  winters  of  the 
hostile  world  tend  in  some  strange  way  to  its 
advantage.^^  The  season  of  growth  is  not  of 
equal  length  in  all.^^  And,  as  some  believers 
enter  at  once  into  glory,***  we  can  conceive  of 
this  work  being  done  for  all,  by  other  means 
and  in  sunnier  fields  than  this  dark  world 
affords.  God  has  ways  of  developing  a  man, 
though  the  man  die  as  soon  as  he  is  born  into 
the  kingdom.  But  there  is  another  work 
v/hic'h,  as  far  as  we  know,  must  be  done  here 
upon  the  earth  and  through  the  ministry  of 
human  lives,  and  so  — 

2.  His  great  purpose  in  sending  them  forth 
was,  that  others  might  come  to. know  and  to 
believe  in  him."*^  His  kingdom  grows  by  ac- 
cretions from  the  world,  and  he  trains  some  of 
his  followers  to  cultivate  hearts  instead  of 
fields,*^  and  to  fish  for  men  instead  of  fishes.*^ 
It  'bore  upon  the  heart  of  Jesus  that  his  own 
labors  did  not  bring  more  victories,*^  but  he 


*^Luke  xili.  8;    John  xv.  2.  ""Matt.  v.  11,  12. 

"Compare  the  brothers  James  and  John. 

**Luke  xxiii.  43.  "John  xx.  21-23;  xv.  27. 

"John  iv.   35-38.  *^  Matt.  Iv.  19. 

"Matt,  xxiii.  37:  Luke  xvif.  17. 


I40  _The  Creed  of  Christ. 

believed  —  believed  in  such  a  way  as  to  cheer 
him  —  that  his  chosen  men  would  do  greater 
things  than  he  had  done,*^  and  would  carry 
the  good  news  of  the  kingdom  to  the  utmost 
bound  of  earth ;  ^^  that  the  growth  of  his  king- 
dom would  be  marvellous,^^  and  would  ulti- 
mately affect  the  whole  mass  of  men.^^  Jesus 
died  for  the  world,  and  he  intends  to  win  the 
world.^^  If  his  people  are  worthy  and  united, 
men  will  come  to  believe  that  God  sent  him, 
and  will  believe  on  him.^*  Aye,  on  him  shall 
even  the  Gentiles  come  to  place  their  trust.^^ 
The  King  was  to  overthrow  Satan's  kingdom 
by  drawing  all  men  unto  himself. ^^  If  he  fails 
in  this,  the  rest  of  his  work  fails.  When, 
therefore,  he  goes  away,  and  leaves  the  work 
undone,  he  sends  his  followers  forth  to  do  the 
^'greater  works"  of  which  he  spake.^^  Jesus 
did  not  desire  simply  to  make  a  proclamation 
and  stop;  he  wished  to  win  men.  ''This  man 
receiveth  sinners  and  eateth  with  them."  ^^  He 
goes  after  that  which  is  lost  "until  he  find 
it."  58 

"John  xiv.  12.  "Matt,  xxviii.  19;  Acts  i.  8. 

"  Matt.  xiii.  31,  32.  "  Matt.  xiii.  33.  "'  John  xii.  32. 
"John  xvif.  21.  "  Comp.  Matt.  xii.  21;  Luke  iv.  24-27. 
"John  xiv.  12.  "Luke  xv.  2.  "Luke  xv.  4. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       141 

To  this  end  his  people  in  the  world  should 
be  — 

(a)  Free  men.  He  whose  heart  is  set  upon 
v/hat  the  world  holds,  and  whose  expectations 
are  towards  such  honors  as  the  world  can  give, 
is  not  free  for  the  service  of  this  new  King.^^ 
In  order  that  men  may  serve  Jesus  well,  he 
teaches  that  they  must  seek  the  honor  which 
comes  from  God  only,  and  be  content  with 
that.^^  No  ill  treatment  on  the  part  of  the 
world  can  ever  surprise  the  man  who  has  atten- 
tively considered  the  warnings  of  Jesus;  he 
has  only  to  ''remember"  what  his  Lord  has 
said.^^  No  ill  treatment  that  the  world  can 
bring  can  make  this  man  afraid.®^  Faith  in 
God  and  fear  do  not  dwell  in  the  same  breast.^^ 
One  of  the  strange  things  that  Jesus  can  do  is 
to  fill  a  heart  with  permanent  peace,  and  with 
the  sweetest  kind  of  joy,  though  that  heart  be 
pressed  on  every  side  and  Jesus  be  its  only 
friend.  'These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you, 
that  in  me  ye  may  have  peace.  In  the  world 
ye  have  tribulation ;  but  be  of  good  cheer ;  I 
have  overcome  the  world."  ®* 

"Matt.  vi.  24.  «»John  v.  44.  "John  xvi.  1-4. 

"  Matt.  X.  28.  •»  Matt.  x.  29-33.  •*  John  xvi.  33. 


142  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

But  it  is  not  only  the  fear  of  the  world  which 
keeps  a  man  in  bondage,  and  incapacitates  him 
for  this  other  service;  the  rewards  which  the 
world  gives  also  enslave  him.^^  How  can  a 
man  in  the  pay  of  the  world  serve  truly  the 
kingdom  of  Christ?  The  lust  of  gain  and  the 
love  of  riches  are  fatal.  "Children,  how  hard 
it  is  for  them  that  trust  in  riches  to  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God!"««  'The  care  of  the 
world  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches  choke  the 
word."  ^^  ''So,  therefore,  whosoever  he  be  of 
you  that  renounceth  not  all  that  he  hath,  he 
cannot  be  my  disciple."  ^^  No  rule  that  Jesus 
lays  down  seems  more  unrelenting  than  this  — 
the  worshipper  of  gold  cannot  be  his  disciple. 
Here  is  something  from  which  his  people  must 
be  free.  "Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mam- 
mon." 6» 

This  does  not  mean  that  his  servants  must 
live  in  poverty.  Many  of  his  most  faithful  fol- 
lowers were  householders,'^^  and  some  of  them 
were  ric^h  enough  to  minister  unto  him  of  their 
substance.'^^     Even  a  costly  burial  could  be  af- 

«  Matt.  vi.  19-24.  «»  Mark  x.  24.  <"  Matt.  xiii.  22. 

"  Luke  xiv.  33.  ~  Matt.  vi.  24.  ^°  John  xix.  27. 

^^Luke  viii.  3. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       143 

forded  him  by  a  rich  man  who  truly  believedJ^ 
It  does  mean,  however,  that  their  hearts  shall 
not  hold  these  things  too  dear.  Possession  is 
no  sin,  but  slavery  to  possession  is.  Jesus  must 
be  both  the  Lord  of  his  people  and  the  Lord  of 
what  they  possess.  This  is  shown  by  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  only  one  on  whom  he  laid 
the  command,  "Sell  all  that  thou  hast  and 
distribute  unto  the  poor,"  proved  his  need  of 
just  that  command  by  his  inability  to  do  it.'''^ 
If  his  heart  had  been  free  from  bondage  to  his 
estates,  the  command  would  have  been  no  more 
necessary  for  him  than  it  was  for  the  loving 
family  at  Bethany.*^*  The  spirit  of  Christ's 
man  must  be  free  at  every  cost.  The  world 
must  not  command  him ;  Christ  is  his  Master. 
If  to  purchase  this  freedom  it  is  necessary  for 
any  given  man  to  sell  all,  why  then  he  must 
sell,  or  else  he  cannot  be  his  disciple.*^^  The 
Roman  army  officer  had  wonderful  faith  and 
kept  his  office.'^^  Peter,'^'^  Levi  ^®  and  John  ^^ 
followed  their  Lord,  but  did  not  sell  their 
houses.    There  is  no  virtue  in  wealth,  and  there 

"Matt,  xxvif.  55-60.  "Luke  xviii.  18-23. 

"  John  xii.  1,  2.      '^  Luke  xiv.  26-33.      '«  Matt.  viii.  5-13. 
"  Matt.  viii.  14.  "  Luke  v.  29.  ^»  John  xix.  27. 


144  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

is  no  virtue  in  poverty,  only  the  poor  man, 
having  no  master  that  takes  up  all  his  love,  is 
freer  to  take  on  the  service  of  Christ.^^  There 
is  no  sin  in  poverty,  and  there  is  no  sin  in 
wealth;  only  the  rich  man  feels  no  need,  and 
already  has  a  master  that  takes  up  all  his 
heart.^^  Christ's  servant,  whether  he  be  poor 
or  rich,  must  be  free.  If  the  rich  be  free,  they 
are  a  blessing  to  the  poor,^^  and  the  free  poor 
man  can  often  help  in  noblest  ways  the  rich 
man  who  is  a  slave,  and  restless  and  alone.^^ 
(b)  These  people,  being  free  from  the  world, 
should  be  loyal  to  their  new  King.  Under  this 
head  may  be  gathered  all  those  conceptions  of 
Jesus  as  to  the  method  by  which  his  kingdom 
shall  meet  and  overcome  the  world.  A  true 
loyalty  to  Christ  would  lead  his  servants  to 
confine  the  sphere  of  his  kingdom  as  he  con- 
fined it.  His  being  the  Messiah  did  not  thereby 
constitute  him  a  civil  judge.^*  Some  things 
he  came  to  do.  Others  he  did  not  come  to  do. 
"The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but  to  minister."  ^^     ''God  sent  not  the 

••Mark  x.  24.  "Luke  xii.  19.  '^  Luke  xii.  33. 

*•  Luke  xix.  1-10.  "  Luke  xii.  14.  "  Matt.  xx.  28. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       145 

Son  into  the  world  to  judge  the  world;  but 
that  the  world  should  'be  saved  through 
him."  ^^  He  was  not  an  overturner  of  civil 
governments.  Even  Pilate  was  to  him  a  law- 
ful governor,  and  he  stood  before  his  bar.^"^ 
No  one  could  stop  him  in  what  he  came  to 
do,^^  but  he  did  not,  as  a  man,  embrace  within 
himself  all  offices.^^  Similarly,  his  people  are 
not  "of  the  world,"  *^  and  are  not  over  the 
world,^^  but  are  "in  the  world."  ^^  In  the  last 
analysis  they  have  no  Master  but  Christ.^^  But 
this  does  not  entitle  them  to  be  civil  judges,^*  or 
constitute  them  lords  of  all  the  affairs  of  men. 
A  true  loyalty  to  Christ  would  lead  his  ser- 
vants to  extend  the  sphere  of  his  kingdom  as 
he  extended  it.  This  means  to  despise  no  man, 
and  to  despair  of  no  man.^^  The  darkest  place 
is  the  place  most  in  need  of  light.  These  ser- 
vants are  light-bearers.  "Men  loved  the  dark- 
ness." ^*  "And  he  that  walketh  in  the  dark- 
ness knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth."  ®^     "Ye 

ARE  THE  LIGHT  OF  THE  WORLD."  ^^    JeSUS  loveS 

««  John  iif.  17.      ^  John  xix.  10.  11.  ««  Luke  xiii.  31-3?. 

**  Luke  xii.  14.         "  John  xv.  19.  ^  Matt,  xxiii.  8-12. 

•^  John  xvii.  11.        »*  Matt,  xxiii.  10.  "^  j^^tt.  xxiii.  10. 

•3  Luke  vi.  35.              »*  John  iii.  19.  "  John  xM.  35. 
•*Matt.  V.  14. 


146  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  world,  and  died  for  the  world,  and  into  the 
world  they  must  go,  that  the  world  may  know 
and  believe.^^  Nothing  but  lack  of  faith,  either 
in  the  love  or  in  the  power  of  Jesus,  will  ever 
make  them  turn  back.  Jesus  never  found  even 
in  Judea  a  sinner  too  vile  for  him  to  save ;  and 
there  is  no  one  from  whom  his  church  has  a 
right  to  turn  away.^^  Moreover,  the  field  of 
his  activity  is  the  whole  world,^^  and  no  man 
has  a  right  to  restrict  it  by  high  or  low,  by  near 
or  far  away.  ''Ye  shall  be  my  witnesses  both 
in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea  and  Samaria, 
and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth."  ^^^ 
A  true  loyalty  to  Christ  would  shut  out  for- 
ever all  worldly  or  unworthy  means  of  win- 
ning men.  What  has  the  church  done  when  by 
the  world  she  has  won  the  world?  Has  any 
change  been  wrought?  Are  the  men  not 
worldly  still?  Jesus  bowed  not  down  before 
Satan,  though,  in  a  sense,  it  would  have  given 
him  the  world.^^^  He  did  not  want  the  world 
as  it  was.  If  he  must  change  to  a  worldling 
in  order  to  win  it,   the  v/orld  would  be  the 

«^  John  xvii.  21,  23.     ^*  Luke  xv.  1,  2.     *»  Matt,  xxviii.  19. 
^*^Acts  i.  8.  ^o^Matt.   iv.  9,   10. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       147 

world  still.  If  it  come  not  lawfully  he  prefers 
that  it  come  not  at  all.^^^  He  makes  no  com- 
promises nor  alliances  with  Satan.  He  shows 
a  square  front  and  an  honest  breast  to  all  the 
opposition  that  he  meets.^^^  A  kingdom  that  is 
not  different  from  the  world  is  not  his  king- 
dom.^ ^*  A  kingdom  won  by  worldly  means  is 
still  a  worldly  kingdom.^^^  Not  such  a  king- 
dom is  his,  and  not  by  such  means  is  it  ad- 
vanced. He  commissions  his  servants  to  go 
forth  armed  with  a  beautiful  harmlessness  to 
interfere  with  the  ignorance  and  sin  of  this 
stricken  world.^^^  They  go  to  preach/^'  to 
teach/^®  to  bear  witness/^^  to  live/^*^  to 
shine/ ^^  and  thus  to  lift  the  clouds  of  darkness 
and  of  misery  that  oppress  the  nations.  If  they 
lose  their  distinctive  character,  they  accomplish 
nothing.  If  they  are  faithful,  they  shall  gradu- 
ally salt  the  whole  mass  of  men  with  the  de- 
licious flavor  of  the  Christ-life.^^^ 

(c)  Being  free  to  do  this  work,  these  men 
must  not  only  be  loyal  to  Christ,  they  must  also 

^"^  John  vi.  36-40.    '"'  Matt.  xii.  25-30.    ^''^  John  xviii.  36. 

^°^  John  XV.  19.  ^»«  Matt.  x.  16.  ^"^  Matt.  x.  7. 

^''^Matt.  xxviif.  20.         ^°»John  xv.  27.         ^^^John  xv.  5. 

"^Matt.  V.  16.  ^^Matt.  v.  13. 


148  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

catch  the  Christ-spirit.  The  men  who  walked 
with  Jesus  from  day  to  day  found  this  very 
hard  to  do,  and  were  constantly  breaking  out 
in  tempers  unharmonious  with  his.^^^  It  may 
be  harder  for  us  than  it  was  for  them  to  find 
this  spirit  and  to  hold  it  against  the  world. 
The  kingdom  ought  to  be  permeated  with  the 
spirit  of  the  King/^^  and  his  people  are  to  ex- 
pect no  more  from  the  world  than  he  re- 
ceived.^ ^^  To  begin  with,  Jesus  did  not  con- 
ceive his  kingdo^m  to  be  an  incubus  upon  man- 
kind, to  be  supported  by  unwilling  gifts  or 
taxes.  His  friends  supported  him ;  ^^^  he  fed 
the  strangers  who  flocked  about  him.^^^  He 
maintained  his  independence,  his  self-respect 
and  public  respect.^ ^^  He  shunned  no  obliga- 
tion for  the  purpose  of  saving  a  little  money.^^^ 
Even  a  king  could  not  with  attentions  buy  his 

silence,  ^^^  but  the  poor  were  aided  by  his 
gifts.^21 

In  sending  out  other  men  to  work  in  his 
name,  he  authorizes  them  to  receive  the  willing 

""Mark  ix.  33-37;  Luke  ix.  54,  55.  "*  John  xiii.  15,  16. 
^»  John  XV.  20.  "•  Luke  viii.  3.  "^  Matt.  xiv.  16. 

""John  viii.  46.  "''Matt.  xvii.  24-27. 

"«Comp.  Luke  ix.  9;  xiif.  31,  32.  "^  John  xiii.  29. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       149 

gifts  of  those  among  whom  they  labor;  ^22  \j^^ 
it  is  only  on  the  principle  of  equivalent  service 
having  been  rendered.  "The  laborer  is  worthy 
of  his  hire."  122     ^^  jji^j.  ^^^  ^^^.^  ^  ^^^^^ 

under  that  rule.  It  means  work,  work,  work. 
If  they  have  not  rendered  service,  they  are 
unworthy  of  hire,  and  ought  not  to  expect  it. 
Later,  he  instructs  these  same  men,  in  order 
to  insure  their  independence,  to  take  with  them 
whatever  of  worldly  goods  they  may  pos- 
sess.123  'Yhe  kingdom  is  a  true  blessing  to  the 
nation  in  which  it  is  found,  and  to  whatever 
nation  it  may  be  transferred.^^*  It  does  not 
absorb,  it  gives.^^s  ]^q  species  of  mean  cring- 
mg  nor  of  fawning  dependence  is  compatible 
with  the  dignity  of  the  King  nor  of  his  ser- 
vants. ^^^ 

The  men  of  the  kingdom,  standing  thus 
upon  their  feet,  need  in  their  work  two  other 
points  of  likeness  to  Jesus.  They  must  have  a 
love  that  forgets  all  injuries  and  is  equal  to 
all  the  burdens  that  shall  come.^^T  ^^  resent- 
ment must  burn  against  those  who  have  ill-used 

"^Luke  X.  7.  "'Luke  xxii.  36.  "*  Matt.  xxi.  43. 

"^Matt.  X.  8.         "*Matt.  x.  24-33.         "^Luke  vi.  27-36. 


150  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  cause  they  love.^^®  If  a  man  believe  not, 
still  must  they  labor  on.^^o  l^^  ^j^^  world  hate 
and  persecute  and  kill,  they,  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus,  must  love  and  forgive  and  serve.^^^  The 
kingdom  is  to  the  w^orld  as  Jesus  was,  the 
light,^^^  and  the  duties  of  the  men  of  the  king- 
dom are  like  the  duties  of  Jesus,  to  live,  and 
to  suffer,  and,  if  need  be,  to  die  to  win  the 
world.^^2 

This  leads  to  the  second  point  of  likeness. 
To  do  this  work,  men  must,  like  Jesus,  feel  a 
great  tompassion  for  the  lost.^^^  ''Lift  up 
your  eyes  and  look  on  the  fields."  ^^*  The 
kingdom  does  not  occupy  an  humble  station, 
from  which  she  looks  up  and  asks  favors.  She 
sees  the  whole  world  as  a  shepherdless  mass, 
and  her  heart  is  stirred  like  the  heart  of  her 
Lord.^^^  Hov/  beautiful  is  the  compassion  of 
Jesus,  and  how  like  Jesus  is  the  unselfish  com- 
passion Of  a  redeemed  man !  The  tender  heart 
of  the  summer  cloud  is  moved  in  pity  for  the 
parched  earth,  and  she  opens  her  bosom  and 


^^«Luke  ix.  54,  55.  ^^  John  xii.  46,  47. 

^^  Matt.  V.  44,  45.  ^"  Matt.  v.  14.  ^^^  John  xx.  21. 

^"Matt.  ix.   36-38.  ^"  John  iv.   35. 


The  Kingdom  in  the  World.       151 

pours  out  her  very  substance  upon  the  thirsty 
ground ;  and  thus  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  blesses 
with  the  riches  of  her  very  soul  the  barren 
wastes  of  human  life.  If  all  the  members  of 
this  glorious  kingdom  could  thus  live  and  love 
and  labor  in  the  world  —  could  all  be  united/^^ 
in  answer  to  the  prayer  of  Jesus;  could  all  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit/ ^^  whose  work  is 
the  same  as  theirs  ^^'^  —  we  might  with  good 
reason  hope  to  see  that  other  prayer  of  Jesus 
answered,  too :  "That  the  world  may  believe 
that  thou  didst  send  me."^^^  There  is  so  much 
of  the  mass  of  men  that  has  not  been  leavened 
yet.^^^  There  are  so  many  birds  that  have  not 
come  to  know  where  this  great  tree  is  growing 
and  stretching  forth  its  goodly  branches. ^^^ 
O  Lord  God!  remember  still  the  prayer  of 
Jesus. 

"^  John  xvii.  21.       "«  Luke  xxiv.  49.      "^  John  xv.  26,  27. 
"^Matt.  xiii.  33.  "» Matt.  xifi.  31,  32. 


X. 
The  Holy  Spirit. 

"And  the  Holy  Spirit  descended  in  a  bodily  form  as  a 
dove  upon  him." — Luke  iii.  22. 

TJRAYER.  Oh!  thou  whose  gracious  task 
-*-  it  is  to  lead  us  into  all  truth,  for  Jesus' 
sake,  lead  us  into  the  truth  concerning  thyself. 
The  story  of  man's  creation  suggests  to  us 
a  plurality  of  counsellors  in  the  stupendous 
work;^  and  the  story  of  man's  redemption  — 
a  work  of  greater  cost  by  far  —  opens  with  a 
like  revelation.^  By  the  brink  of  Jordan  three 
persons  appear :  Jesus,  not  fully  learned  in  his 
Father's  will,  and  unseasoned  to  the  tempta- 
tions and  burdens  that  make  the  climate  of  this 
world;  the  Holy  Spirit,  descending  in  bodily 
form  out  of  heaven,  to  light  on  him,  and  be- 
come his  guide  and  helper;  and  God  the 
Father,  speaking  with  a  voice  that  men  could 
hear,  and  owning  this  man  Jesus  for  a  Son 

^Gen.  i.  26.  'Matt.  iii.   16,   17. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  153 

and  his  work  as  well  pleasing  in  his  sight.  We 
have  seen  how  Jesus  believed  in  his  Father,^ 
and  how  he  also  believed  in  his  own  dignity 
and  success  as  the  divine  Redeemer  *  —  but 
who  is  this  third  blessed  One  that  here  ap- 
pears ?  And  what  is  his  work  ?  And  how  can 
he  come  upon  men?  And  what  is  the  power 
w^hich  his  coming  brings  ? 

We  are  not  permitted  to  doubt  the  existence 
of  such  a  Being,  for  Jesus,  after  seeing  him 
come  down  out  of  the  rent  heavens  ^  —  fit 
symbol  of  the  veil  that  divides  this  world  from 
that  —  having  known  the  urging  of  that  Spirit 
upon  his  own  heart  as  he  led  him  forth  into 
the  wilderness,^  and  having  in  time  of  trial  felt 
the  support  of  the  world's  Comforter,  who  was 
first  a  Comforter  to  him,'^  and  having  returned 
into  Galilee  filled  with  a  consciousness  of  new 
power,*  enters  the  synagogue  and  makes  the 
distinct  claim  that  this  Spirit  of  God  is  still 
upon  him.^  God  has  anointed  him  for  a  spe- 
cific and  mighty  work;  and  whether  the  "be- 
cause" in  Luke  iv.  18  ("The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 

»  Chap.  II.      *  Chap.  VI.       =  Matt.  iii.  16.      «  Mark  i.  12. 
^Luke  iv.  1.  "Luke  iv.  18,  21. 


154  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  good  tidings  to  the  poor")  mean  that 
the  work  was  of  such  a  kind  that  the  call  to  it 
proved  the  possession  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  or 
whether  it  mean  that  the  conscious  possession 
of  the  Spirit  proved  the  call  to  the  work,  we 
are  not  at  pains  to  decide.  It  is  insisted,  how- 
ever, that  Jesus  saw  and  felt  and  claimed  the 
existence  of  this  Holy  Spirit  of  God.  As  we 
proceed  to  ask  certain  questions  about  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  endeavor  to  answer  them,  we  im- 
plore his  guidance,  and  devoutly  pray  that  we 
may  at  least  be  saved  from  offending  him. 

I.  The  first  question,  then,  is.  Who  is  this 
Spirit  whom  our  Saviour  distinguishes  from 
God  the  Father  and  from  himself?  And  the 
answer  is.  He  is  a  divine  Person.  In  this 
answer  there  are  really  two  points,  his  divinity 
and  his  personality.  The  proof  of  one  lies 
neighbor  to  the  proof  of  the  other,  for  the 
works  assigned  to  him  forbid  that  he  be  less 
than  divine,^  and  the  way  in  which  he  is  de- 
scribed as  performing  those  works  excludes 
every  idea  except  that  of  personal  agency.^^ 

*John  iif.  5.  "Luke  xii.  10,  12. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  155 

The  baptismal  formula  itself  embraces  both 
ideas,  for  in  that  formula  he  stands  equal  to 
and  distinct  from  the  Father  and  the  Son.^^ 
Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that  in  describing 
him  the  evangelist  uses  masculine  pronouns, 
when  mere  grammatical  rules  would  require 
the  pronoun  to  be  neuter.^^  He  saves  his 
theology  at  the  expense  of  his  grammar. 

This  point  is  so  generally  admitted  by  the 
church  to-day  that  nothing  beyond  this  simple 
reminder  of  the  usual  line  of  proof  will  be 
needed  to  win  the  consent  of  men  to  the  state- 
ment that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  divine  person. 
What  seems  to  be  needed  now  is  to  reckon  this 
position  a  fundamental  one.  He  is  a  person 
as  truly  as  God  the  Father,  or  as  Jesus  Christ 
is  a  person,  and  this  fact  must  control  the 
answer  to  any  other  questions  that  may  be 
asked  about  his  work  or  indwelling.  Every- 
thing that  is  said  about  the  Holy  Spirit  must 
be  said  with  his  personality  in  view,  and  the 
form  of  every  statement  must  be  consistent 
with  this  eminent  characteristic. 

n.  In  the  view  of  Jesus,  what  work  belongs 

"  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  "  John  xvi.  13,  14. 


156  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

to  the  Holy  Spirit?  In  answering  this  ques- 
tion, it  is  allowable  to  combine  in  one  view  two 
distinct  things,  the  work  that  he  did  for  Jesus, 
and  the  work  which  he  will  do  for  other  men  — 
for  Jesus  was  a  man,  and  the  Spirit  that 
wrought  in  him  is  the  same  that  works  in  us, 
and  the  efficacy  of  his  working  cannot  be  better 
shown  than  in  the  full  perfection  of  his  energy 
as  found  in  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ.  There  is 
a  marked  difference  between  the  man  who  came 
to  John  to  be  baptized  in  the  Jordan  ^^  and  the 
man  who,  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  returned 
into  Galilee;  ^*  but  even  this  difference  does  not 
measure  the  gulf  that  separates  between  two 
certain  points  in  a  common  man's  life  —  the 
one  when  he  is  a  child  of  the  devil,  and  doing 
the  lusts  of  his  father,^ ^  and  the  other  when 
he  is  a  son  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty,^ ^  with 
the  likeness  of  God  stamped  upon  him. 

The  Holy  Spirit  convicts  the  world  of  sin,^''' 
and  leads  to  Jesus;  ^^  he  is  the  author  of  the 
new  birth,^^  the  enlightener  of  the  mind,^^  the 


"  Matt.  iii.  13.  15.  "  Luke  iv.  14.  «  John  viii.  44. 

"John  i.  12,  13;   iif.  5.       "John  xvi.  8.      "John  xv.  26. 

"John  iii.  5.  ^"John  xvi.  12,  13. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  157 

guide,^^    counsellor,^^    teacher  ^^    and    sancti- 
fier  ^^  of  believers ;   he  anoints  with  authority 
and    power    for    special    work ;  ^^    he    speaks 
through   human   lips ;  ^^    he   is   the   agent   by 
whom  the  testimony  of  men  is  made  efficient.^^ 
In  a  word,  he  does  What  Jesus  would  do  if  in 
human  form  he  still  stood  among  his  friends, 
and  does  it  more  effectively.    Jesus  had  helped 
them,  pleading  with  them  for  God,^^  and  with 
God  for  them.2^     He  had  answered  for  them 
the  criticisms  of  their  enemies.^^    He  had  held 
them  to  himself  with  words  of  warning  ^^  and 
words  of  hope.^^     He  had  been  a  present  help, 
a  paraclete  —  and  the  Holy  Spirit  was  to  be 
''another,"  and  a  more  efficient  one,  by  reason 
of  his  freedom  from  certain  limitations  that 
belonged  to  Jesus  as  a  man.     He  is  to  abide 
with  them,  and  lead  them  till  need  of  leading 
is  felt  no  more.     ''I  will  pray  the  Father,  and 
he  shall  send  you  another  Comforter,  that  he 
may  be  with  you  forever."  ^^     And  so,  "It  is 
expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away."  ^^     It  will 

^  Matt.  X.  19,  20.  ^  John  xiv.  6,  7.  ^»  John  xiv.  26. 

"Comp.  John  xvii.  17;  xvi.  13.  =*''Acts  i.  8. 

"  John  XV.  26,  27.  ^  John  xv.  ^8  j^^^  ^vii. 

^Mark  vif.  1-15.         '<>  Matt.  v.  20.         "Luke  xviii.  30. 
'=*  John  xiv.  16.  "«  John  xvi.  7. 


158  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

be  seen  that  to  perform  these  tasks  always  and 
everywhere,  nothing  short  of  a  divine  person, 
with  divine  intelHgence  and  divine  power,  will 
suffice.  .While  if  he  be  as  Jesus  taught,  a  true 
person  thus  gloriously  exalted  and  endowed, 
he  is  abundantly  competent  to  undertake  these 
offices  —  offices  which  belong  not  to  a  blind 
energy  or  influence  —  and  to  fill  them  with 
success. 

III.  What  is  meant  by  "receiving  the  Holy 
Spirit,"  ^^  or,  ''the  Holy  Spirit  coming  upon 
you"  ?  ^^  Certainly,  everything  that  is  taught 
is  consistent  with  the  personality  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  nor  can  he  be  given  nor  received, 
except  as  a  divine  person,  for  this  he  is.  It  is 
true  that  he  may  manifest  his  presence  in  dif- 
ferent ways,  and  in  varying  degrees  of  clear- 
ness; but  all  the  while  it  is  he  that  possesses 
the  life  and  divides  the  gifts  on  different  days, 
or  to  different  individuals,  as  he  please.  Thus 
he  was  in  the  hearts  of  the  believing  apostles 
from  the  time  of  their  new  birth,^^  but  Jesus, 
on  leaving  them,  breathed  upon  them  and  said, 
"Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spirit,"  ^^  doubtless  as 

»*  John  XX.  22.    ''Acts  i.  8.    ''John  iii.  5.    '^John  xx.  22. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  159 

a  spirit  of  understanding,  "opening  their 
minds."  ^^  But,  even  after  this,  there  rested 
on  them  the  command  to  tarry  at  Jerusalem 
until  the  Holy  Spirit  should  come  upon  them 
as  a  spirit  of  power  for  the  work  assigned,^^ 
namely,  witnessing  to  Jesus  and  his  resurrec- 
tion. ''Ye  shall  receive  power,  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  come  upon  you;  and  ye  shall  be  my 
witnesses."  *^ 

It  is  not,  then,  a  new  portion  of  him  that 
comes,  but  rather  the  same  gracious  Person, 
coming  with  a  new  gift.  We  are  taug'ht  to 
pray,  not  for  his  influence,  but  for  him,^^  and 
all  those  expressions  which  would  seem  to 
divide  or  portion  out  the  Spirit  of  God  are  un- 
scriptural.  No  one  partitions  the  Saviour,  and 
no  intelligent  Christian  prays  for  a  part  of  his 
sacrifice  or  blood  to  be  applied  to  him.  Nor 
are  we  to  divide  or  measure  the  Holy  Spirit. 
He,  the  adorable,  intelligent,  entire  Person  that 
he  is,  takes  up  his  throne  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
and  on  one  bestows  a  gift  of  speech,*^  on  an- 
other a  gift  of  understanding,*^  and  on  another 

•»Luke  xxiv.  45.  '"Luke  xxiv.  49.  ♦"Acts.  i.  8. 

*'  Luke  xi.  13.  «  Matt.  x.  21.  «  John  xiv.  26. 


i6o  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

a  gift  of  joy  *^  or  of  power ;  *^  and  when  he 
opens  his  hand  to  bestow  these  gifts,  or  comes 
afresh  to  bear  some  new  gift,^^  he  is  ever  the 
one,  undivided  Spirit  of  God.  The  words  in 
John  iii.  34  ('Tor  he  whom  God  hath  sent 
speaketh  the  words  of  God,  for  he  giveth  not 
the  Spirit  by  measure")  are  not  regarded  as 
contrary  to  this  view,  for  the  contrast  in  that 
connection  is  not  between  Christ  and  lesser 
messengers,  but  between  the  words  of  the  mes- 
senger and  the  words  of  God.  He  whom  God 
hath  sent  speaketh  words  that  are  really  God's 
words,  for  God  giveth  not  the  Spirit  by 
measure,  so  that  one  may  say  this  message  is 
half  human  and  half  divine.  He  that  has,  and 
speaks  by  the  Spirit,  speaks  by  a  person  who 
is  divine  and  undivided  —  speaks  indeed  the 
words  of  God,  and  God  is  true.  Just  how  this 
divine  Person  comes  into  a  human  life  and 
influences  that  life  may  be  as  hard  for  us  to 
explain  as  it  would  be  to  show  how  one  human 
spirit  stands  near  to  and  influences  another; 
but  we  are  not  endeavoring  explanations  —  the 
effort  is  to  set  forth  facts,  and  these  facts  are 

"John  xiv.  16,  17;  xv.  11.  "Acts  i.  8. 

"•Luke  xxiv.  49. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  i6i 

abundantly    established    in    the    teachings    of 
Jesus  and  in  human  experience. 

IV.  What  is  meant  by  the  "power"  which 
one  receives  by  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 
Here,  again,  the  foundation  fact  that  the  Spirit 
is  a  person  must  give  character  to  any  view 
that  is  held,  and,  therefore,  it  cannot  be  true 
that  this  power  is  a  sort  of  energy  or  heavenly 
electricity  that  is  subject  to  the  will  and  direc- 
tion of  its  human  possessor.  So  far  from  this 
being  true,  it  is  the  gracious  prerogative  of  this 
divine  Person  to  oppose  the  will  of  the  man 
whom  he  possesses,  and  by  his  great  power  to 
direct  that  human  will  into  new  channels.  He 
is  opposed  to  man's  ignorance,  and  teaches 
him.*^  He  is  opposed  to  man's  love  of  sin,*® 
and  weans  him  away  from  it.  He  is  opposed 
to  man's  rebellion,  and  subdues  him.*^  He  is 
the  master,  not  man.  He  leads,  and  if  that 
fails,  directs.*^  Never  is  he  described  as  a 
something  which  I  may  use ;  he  is  a  Somebody 
that  can  use  me."*^  Never  are  we  to  conceive 
that  he  puts  infinite  power  under  the  control  of 

«  Comp.  Luke  xxiv.  25;  John  xvi.  12,  13.      "  John  xvi.  8. 
"Comp.  Luke  xii.  11,  12;  xxi.  14,  15. 
*«Acts  viii.  29;  xvi.  6,  7. 


i62  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

human  intelligence.  He  abdicates  his  throne 
of  authority  in  favor  of  none,  nor  does  he  lend 
without  reserve  his  resistless  power  to  puny 
men. 

What  does  Jesus  mean,  then,  by  a  man  being 
"'clothed  with  power"?  The  prophecy,  or 
promise,  is  best  understood  by  the  method 
of  the  fulfilment.  What  Jesus  gave  is  what  he 
meant  to  give.  A  study  of  The  Acts  will  show 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  did  not  use  men  as  de- 
fwDsitaries  of  a  mysterious  energy  to  be  ex- 
pended on  other  men.  He  simply  took  posses- 
sion of  men  separately,  and  wrought  upon  them 
each  for  himself,  showing  his  presence  by  giv- 
ing new  powers,  or  new  energy  to  existing 
powers,  in  the  life  of  the  men  upon  whom  he 
came.  In  The  Acts  v.  32  the  work  of  the 
apostles  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit  are  not 
identical,  but  distinct:  "And  we  are  v/itnesses 
of  these  things ;  and  so  is  the  Holy  Spirit, 
whom  God  hath  given  to  them  that  obey  him." 
If  the  exigencies  required  that  a  man  speak 
with  tongues,  the  divine  Spirit  enabled  him  to 
do  that,*^  but  the  hearing  ear,  and  the  under- 

"Acts    ii.    4. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  163 

standing   mind,    were   separate  gifts.^<^     If   a 
man's  duty  was  to  be  a  witness  to  Jesus,  the 
possession  of  ''the  power"  simply  meant  that 
the  blessed  Spirit  gave  him  skill  to  present  a 
testimony  clear  and  full.^i    The  believing  heart 
was  a  separate  and  direct  gift.     If  the  man's 
business  was  to  work  a  miracle,  the  Spirit  of 
God   by   his  personal   indwelling  decided   the 
occasion,  directed  the  method  of  the  doing,  and 
put  forth,  apart  from  the  man's  strength,  his 
own  creative  power  to  make  good  a  plan  and 
a  word  of  his  own   choosing.     Thus   Peter, 
miraculously   taught   and    led   by    the   Spirit, 
preaches  in  the  house  of  Cornelius,  and  speaks 
with  the  Spirit's  power.     But  the  statement  is, 
'While  Peter  y^t  spake  these  words,  the  Holy 
Spirit  fell  on  all  them  that  heard  the  word;"  ^^ 
and  we  may  select  for  illustration  two  accounts 
of  the  preaching  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  a  man 
full  of  the  Holy  Spirit.^^     In  one  case,  a  mul- 
titude believed,^*  and  in  the  other  the  people 
were  so  enraged  that  they  wished,  like  beasts, 
to  tear  him  in  pieces.^^     Paul's  testimony  was 

»^Acts  xi.  15-18.        "Acts  v.  1-16.;  vii.         '^  Acts  x.  44. 
"  Acts  ix.  17.  "  Acts  xiv.  1.  »"  Acts  xxfi.  23. 


164  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

at  both  times  the  testimony  of  a  man  clothed 
with  power,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
difference  in  results  did  not  depend  on  him, 
and  were  certainly  not  designed  by  him.  The 
very  last  account  that  we  have  of  a  sermon  by 
him  shows  that  a  cause  beyond  his  control 
determined  the  result.  With  impartial  mind 
he  pleads  with  an  assembled  company,  ''and 
some  believed  the  things  which  were  spoken, 
and  some  disbelieved."  ^^ 

The  ''power"  which  Jesus  promised  them, 
and  which  he  gave,  was  not  an  edged  tool  with 
which  men  might  work  at  will,  but  was  the 
personal  energy  of  God's  Spirit  put  forth  upon 
the  natural  and  gracious  powers  of  men,  en- 
abling them  to  do  or  to  suffer  his  revealed  will. 
A  divine  Person,'^  giver  of  life  ^^  and  graces 
through  the  knowledge  of  Jesus,^^  and  coming 
as  an  abiding  helper  upon  his  people,^^  and  fill- 
ing them  by  his  presence  with  all  necessary 
power  for  growth  and  work,^^  this  Jesus  con- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit  to  be.  This  is  the  One 
whose  coming  would  make  up  for  the  depar- 

"Acts  xxviii.  24.  "John  xv.  26.  "John  iii.  5. 

••John  xvi.  13,  14.  ""John  xiv.  16.  "Acts  i.  8. 


The  Holy  Spirit.  165 

ture  of  Jesus;  ^2  ^^^  certain  it  is  that  we  lose 
nothing  by  his  view,  for  the  Spirit  himself  is 
greater  and  more  to  be  desired  than  any  gift 
that  he  bestows. 

V.  Does  Jesus  give  a  test  by  which  the 
Spirit's  indwelling  may  be  known  ?  Constantly 
he  is  described  as  doing  things ;  and  when  we 
see  his  work,  we  may  reasonably  infer  his  pres- 
ence. This  may  be  done  with  as  much  cer- 
tainty as  one  may  feel  in  passing  through  a 
forest,  and  upon  certain  indications  declaring 
that  the  lightning  has  struck  this  tree.  The 
characteristic  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  thus 
defined,  ''He  shall  glorify  me."'  ^^  This  is 
done  by  leading  to  Jesus,^^  convicting  concern- 
ing Jesus,^*  helping  men  to  understand  Jesus,^^ 
bringing  Jesus  to  the  remembrance  of  men,^^ 
and,  in  a  word,  exalting  Jesus  in  the  minds  of 
men  as  the  object  of  supreme  desire  and  afifec- 
tion.  This  is  the  purpose  of  his  mission,  and 
any  Spirit  that  does  otherwise  is  not  the  one 
of  whom  Jesus  spoke.  The  wonders  and  signs 
done  in  apostolic  times  were  done  in  testimony 

"John  xvi.   7.  ^' John  xvi.    13,   14. 

^'Comp.  John  xii.  32;   xvi.  13.  ^John  xvi.  9. 

**John   xiv.    26. 


1 66  The  Creed  of  Christ, 

of  Jesus,  and  in  accrediting  his  witnesses.^^ 
The  apostles  did  not  glorify  themselves  as  won- 
der-workers,^'^ nor  did  they  invite  men  to  look 
to  them  as  bringing  in  a  new  revelation.  They, 
when  filled  with  the  Spirit,  spoke  of  God's 
promises  which  he  had  fulfilled  in  sending 
Jesus,^^  of  Jesus'  work,^^  and  of  Jesus' 
promises.^^ 

Upon  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Christ  the 
Spirit  moves  to  fashion  them  after  the  likeness 
of  their  Lord,  and  to  fit  them  for  their  work. 
Upon  the  world  the  same  Spirit  moves,  lest  the 
work  of  Jesus  and  the  work  of  believers  should 
fall  to  the  ground.  *'He  shall  take  of  mine, 
and  shall  declare  it  unto  you."  "^^  "He  will 
convict  the  world  in  respect  of  sin."  "^^  Would 
you,  then,  look  for  the  manifestation  of  the 
Spirit's  presence?  Find  a  sinner  turning  his 
weary  face  to  God.  Would  you  look  further? 
Find  you  a  Christ-like  man,  that  is  working 
for  Christ,  with  a  heart  that  gives  Christ  all 
the  glory.  *'He  shall  glorify  me,"  "^^  and  a 
Spirit-filled  man  will  do  the  same. 

«« Acts  iv.  29,  30.         "  Acts  fl.  12,  13.         ««Acts  iii.  25,  26. 

««Acts  iii.  13,  18.  '"Acts  ii.  33.  ''John  xvi.  14. 

"  John  xvi.   8. 


XL 

The  Home-Going. 

"I  leave  the  world,  and  go  unto  the  Father." — John 
xvi.  28. 

^TpHE  expectation  of  a  glorious  end  removes 
"*■  the  terrors  from  almost  any  journey. 
Jesus  had  left  the  Father  and  come  into  the 
world.^  It  was  no  hardship  for  him  to  make 
the  return  journey,  for  that  would  end  where 
he  began  —  in  glory.^  From  the  mountain-top 
he  descends  into  the  valley  of  this  world ;  again 
he  leaves  the  valley  and  returns  to  the  moun- 
tain-top. The  uncertainty  which  brings  on 
most  of  the  fear  which  his  people  feel  had  no 
place  in  his  heart.  To  us,  death  is  such  a 
strange  thing,  and  it  comes  so  often  to  snatch 
our  friends  away,  and  we  never  see  them  any 
more.  When  the  shadow  of  its  wing  comes 
between  us  and  the  light,  shall  we  be  afraid? 
How  much  would  I  give  to  know  whither  I 

^  John  viii.   42;    xvi,   28.  "John  xvii.   5. 


i68  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

am  going,  and  the  way,  and  of  what  sort  my 
own  self  shall  be? 

What  we,  unaided,  cannot  see,  Jesus  saw  and 
believed,  and  out  of  his  faith  he  teaches  the 
world  a  most  pleasing  view  of  this  great  mys- 
tery. He  had  a  Father,^  and  a  Father's  house,^ 
and  when  his  definite  work  in  this  far-off  land 
was  done,  he  simply  went  back  home.  He 
knew  whither  he  went:  'T  go  unto  him  that 
sent  me."  ^  ''Father,  I  come  to  thee."  ^  Death, 
like  a  horrid  portal,  shuts  out  from  our  view 
the  pleasure  gardens  of  the  King  that  lie  be- 
yond, and  it  is  only  the  things  on  this  side 
that  seem  of  much  account  to  us.  Not  so  with 
Jesus.  He  speaks  with  equal  certainty  of  the 
things  that  lie  on  both  sides  of  the  gate.  The 
separation  seems  so  slight  that  he  could  say  to 
one  who  drew  near  to  him  on  this  side,  that 
passing  through  together,  they  would  still  be 
near  each  other  on  the  other  side.  ''Jesus,  re- 
member me  when  thou  comest  in  thy  king- 
dom." ^  "To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in 
paradise."  ^ 

^  John  viii.  42;  xvi.  28.        ^  John  xiv.  2.        "John  vi'i.  33. 
"  John  xvii.  11,  '  Luke  xxiii.  42.  ''  Luke  xxiii.  43. 


The  Home-Going.  169 

That  Jesus  did  not  lear  death  is  too  clear 
to  demand  extended  proof.    His  Hfe  was  some- 
thing which  for  God's  glory  and  man's  good 
he  could  spend  as  he  might  spend  any  other 
precious  possession.^     He  was  not  forced  to 
suffer  what  men  conceive  to  be  an  irreparable 
loss,^  and  he  could  have  avoided  making  even 
such  an  outlay  as  he  saw  to  be  involved  in  the 
passing  away  of  life.^^    He  had  power  to  shake 
loose  from  the  throats  of  other  men  the  icy 
hand  of  death  ;ii  and  he  who  could  do  this 
need  not  have  died  if  he  had  been  very  much 
afraid.    Things  which  bring  terror  to  the  mind 
do  not  cause  gentle  names  to  rise  upon  the  lips. 
Men  speak  of  the  ''king  of  terrors."     Jesus 
says,  ''Our  friend  is  fallen  asleep."  12     ^  ^^^ 
folds  his  hands  and  says,  "I  die":   Jesus  says, 
"I  go  unto  the  Father."  ^^     Men  speak  of  the 
grave,  and  he  of  his  "Father's  house."  1*    Cer- 
tain things  about  it,  such  as  separation  from 
friends,!^  and  physical  suffering,^^  were  indeed 
painful;    but  in  his  view,  it  was  not  the  one 

•John  X.  15.  "John  x.  18.  "Matt.  xxvi.  53. 
"  John  xi.  43,  44.  '^  John  xi.  11.  ^  John  xiv.  28. 
"  John  xiv.  2.      "  John  xvi.  6.      "  John  xiV.  28. 


170  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

who  went  away  who  was  in  need  of  comfort 
or  of  pity;  it  was  they  who  remained  behind, 
and  had  to  wait  and  to  endure.^  ^ 

I.  Jesus  beUeved  that  to  him  death  would 
bring  no  suspension  of  his  being,  or  of  his 
spiritual  powers.  Any  man,  in  imagining  his 
own  death,  feels  that  in  the  supreme  moment 
he  will  be  standing  on  one  side  to  witness  what 
is  going  on,  and  Jesus  constantly  speaks  as  if 
the  passing  away  of  his  life  would  not  touch 
for  a  moment  the  real  part  of  him.  There 
would  be  no  break  in  consciousness,  or  in 
memory.^®  He  had  been  with  the  Father,^^ 
and  was  now  here ;  again,  he  leaves  this  place, 
and  goes  to  the  Father.^^  The  same  person- 
ality extends  through  the  three  stages  of  being. 
If  consciousness  were  broken,  he  could  not  be 
sure  of  this.  'T  came  out  from  the  Father  and 
am  come  into  the  world;  again,  I  leave  the 
world  and  go  unto  the  Father."  ^^  Before 
coming  into  the  world,  he  undertakes  a  work.^^ 
In  the  world  he  does  it.^^     And  while  here,  he 


"Luke  xxiii.  28.         "Luke  xxiii.  43.         "John  xvii.  5. 

»"  John  xvi.  10.      "  john  xvi.  28.      "  john  viii.  42;  vi.  38. 

^3  John  viii.  28,  29. 


The  Home-Going.  171 

does  not  hesitate  to  make  promises  which  he, 
in  the  same  personality,  will  make  good  when 
he  is  gone.^"*  He  will  remember  his  friends. 
Their  welfare  will  still  engage  him.  'T  go 
away,"  ^*  ''but  I  will  see  you  again."  ^^  ''I  will 
send  you  gifts  to  help  you  on;"  ^^  'T  will  pre- 
pare a  place  where  I  am  to  receive  you."  ^^ 
And  then,  as  if  to  prove  his  faith  to  the  hearts 
of  all  who  feared,  he  came  back  to  his  people, 
after  death  had  done  to  him  all  that  death 
could  do,  the  same  thoughtful,  loving,  broth- 
erly man  that  he  had  been  before.^^  His  say- 
ing to  the  thief  on  the  cross  ^^  prevents  our 
thinking  that  there  was  any  interruption  of  his 
conscious  existence  even  during  those  three 
awful  days  of  his  hiding  from  the  view  of  his 
living  disciples.^^ 

n.  Though  there  are  certain  manifest  evil 
effects  of  death,  Jesus  believed  none  of  them 
to  be  permanent.  Friends  are  separated,  but 
they  are  friends  still.  ''Go  unto  my  brethren, 
and  say  to  them,  I  ascend  unto  my  Father  and 


'^John  xvf.  7.         25jojjjj  xvi    22.         ^'^  John  xiv.  13,  14. 

2^  John  xiv.  2,  3.        ^^  John  xxi.  9-14.        ^^  Luke  xxiii.  43. 

20  Luke  xxiv.  21. 


172  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

your  Father,  and  my  God  and  your  God."  ^^ 
And  the  separation  hath  an  end.  '^l  come  unto 
you."  32  'Thou  Shalt  follow  me  afterwards."  ^3 
His  own  body  would  be  subjected  to  a  painful 
death,  but  he  believed  in  his  death  no  more 
certainly  than  he  believed  in  his  resurrection. 
"Having  laid  down  my  life,  I  have  power  to 
take  it  up  again."  ^^  There  was  an  hour  of  the 
power  of  darkness,^^  but  the  suspicion  that  that 
hour  might  stretch  out  forever  seems  never 
to  have  come  to  him.  "The  third  day"  seems 
fixed  in  his  heart.^®  Over  and  over  he  speaks 
of  it.  Let  the  intervening  days  be  what  death 
will  make  them,  the  third  shall  be  what  God 
will  make  it  —  a  day  of  life,  and  light,  and 
glory. 

HI.  In  this  great  matter  Jesus  believed  con- 
cerning his  people  the  same  things  which  he 
believed  concerning  himself.  All  seems  so  in- 
definite to  us  that  all  seems  dark.  What  if  we 
could  take  into  the  make-up  of  our  own  souls 
the  faith  which  Jesus  pressed  upon  the  heart 
of  Martha  —  "Believest  thou  this?"^^ — that 

"John  XX.  17.  »^John  xiv.  18.  '» John  xiii.  36. 

'*  John  X.  17,  18.  "'  Luke  xxii.  53.  »*  Matt.  xx.  19. 

"John  xi.  26. 


The  Home-Going.  173 

the  man  who  by  faith  is  bound  to  me  is  aUve 
in  such  a  sense  that  death  itself  cannot  disturb 
the  simple  fact  —  he  liveth.^®  Open  thy  soul's 
ear  to  receive  another  word,  ''Because  I  live,  ye 
shall  live  also."  ^9 

Omitting  the  one  circumstance  of  his  pre- 
existence  with  the  Father,  Jesus  represents  his 
people  as  sustaining  to  that  heavenly  country 
well-nigh  all  the  relations  which  he  sustained 
to  it.    Has  he  a  Father  there  ?    So  have  they ;  ^^ 
and  they  have  a  Father's  house,* ^  and  Jesus,*^ 
and  memory,*^  and  love.**    No  break  whatever 
is  to  come,  in  being  or  in  consciousness ;  *^  cer- 
tainly nothing  occurs  which  can  disturb  their 
identity  of  person.*^    The  same  persons  that  go 
from  this  world  are  the  persons  who  arrive  in 
that.*^     The  forces  of  death  play  about  their 
feet  —  they  rise  not  above  their  heads.     'T  go 
to  the  Father;    ye  shall  follow,"  saith  Jesus; 
and  the  believer  is  authorized  by  this  faith  of 
Jesus  to  knock  at  the  grim  gate  of  death,  say- 
ing, Father,  open  to  thy  weary  child,  for  I  come 
to  thee. 

"John  xi.  25,  26.  ^John  xiv.  19.  *«John  xx.  17. 

*"■  John  xiv.  2.        «  John  xvii.  24.        "  Matt.  xxv.  34-40. 

**  John  xif.  26;  xiv.  23.  "Luke  xxiii.  43. 

"Matt.  X.  32,  33.  « Matt.  xvii.  3. 


174  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

As  for  himself,  so  also  for  the  believer,  Jesus 
believed  that  all  the  ugly  marks  which  the  fin- 
gers of  death  could  make  were  but  temporary 
evils.  "I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life ;  he 
that  believeth  on  me,  though  he  die,  yet  shall 
he  live."  ^^  It  might  take  his  people  longer  to 
make  some  stages  of  the  journey  than  it  took 
him ;  but  for  them,  too,  there  is  a  blessed  "third 
day"  of  light  and  glory.  'Then  shall  the  right- 
eous shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of 
their  Father."  *^  To  the  believer  the  same 
things  will  happen  that  have  already  happened 
to  Jesus.  The  strong  One  who  has  walked  that 
way  before  knows  how  to  keep  them  safe.^^ 
The  child  in  the  arms  of  the  father  is  as  safe 
in  the  dark  as  in  the  day. 

What,  then,  is  death?  Only  a  gate  so  nar- 
row that  no  man  can  pass  with  any  gross  en- 
cumbrance. And  what  is  the  grave?  Not  an 
inn,  where  the  believer  passes  a  night  as  he 
journeys,  but  only  a  warehouse  in  which  we 
store  for  a  time  our  heavier  possessions  as  we 
in  haste  pass  on.  He  tells  us  not  of  the  day 
of  our  departure,  but  his  words  are  so  tender, 

*«  John  xi.  25.        "  Matt.  xiii.  43.         '^  John  xvii.  12,  24. 


The  Home-Going.  175 

and  his  thoughts  are  so  clear  that  this  inter- 
vening time  of  separation  should  rather  be  our 
time  of  mourning.^^  My  Lover  has  gone  into 
a  distant  land,  to  prepare  a  home  where  I  may 
go  and  t>e  with  him  forever."  ^^  When  all  is 
done,  he  will  not  even  require  me  to  follow 
him  —  to  make  the  journey  thither  alone.  He 
will  come  back  again,^^  and  help  me  all  along 
the  way.  Father,  in  company  with  Jesus,  I 
come  to  thee. 

"  Matt.  ix.  15.  "  John  xiv.  2.  "  John  xiv.  3. 


XIL 
The  Second  Coming. 

"Henceforth  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  at  the 
right  hand  of  Power  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven." — Matt.  xxvi.  64. 

"And  what  I  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  all,  Watch." — 
Mabk  xiii.  37. 

T  N  this  year  of  our  Lord,  1905,  the  average 
behever  has  the  hope  of  Christ's  second 
coming  but  little  in  his  thought.  A  minister 
who  has  been  preaching  the  gospel  for  fifteen 
years  states  that  he  has  never  preached  upon 
the  subject.  This  indifference  is  accounted  for 
in  two  ways :  the  worldly  prosperity  that  has 
come  to  Christ's  kingdom  has  made  men  feel 
that  there  is  really  no  great  need  for  better 
times ;  but  the  chief  responsibility  for  this  con- 
dition lies  with  those  who  have  hotly  engaged 
in  unfortunate  debates  which  should  never  have 
arisen  about  this  great  matter.  Men  have  fixed 
upon    certain    dates    for    the    reappearing   of 


The  Second  Coming.  177 

Christ,  and  talked  as  if  the  truth  of  God  was 
pledged  to  support  their  solution  of  the  com- 
plex pro'blem.  They  have  even  gone  so  far  as 
to  say  that  they  would  lose  all  faith  in  the 
gospel  if  their  schedule  were  not  followed. 
Some  assert  the  day  to  be  near,  some  that  it  is 
very  far  away  —  and  thus  the  battle  has  gone 
on,  the  passing  years  putting  many  to  shame, 
and  the  general  effect  upon  the  church  being 
of  such  a  kind  that  many  devout  men  look  with 
incredulity  and  lightness  upon  the  whole  sub- 
ject. Let  us,  with  unprejudiced  minds,  ap- 
proach the  gospels  and  see  what  Jesus  believed. 
I.  The  fact.  Whatever  events  or  portents 
may  intervene  between  this  time  and  that, 
whatever  the  order  of  these  events  may  be, 
whatever  periods  of  humiliation  or  of  glory 
may  come  to  the  church,  there  is  a  day  in 
which  men  "shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting 
at  the  right  hand  of  Power,  and  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven."  ^  This  is  a  part  of  our 
Saviour's  testimony  when  under  oath.^  He 
believed  it  with  all  his  heart,  and  we  are  no 
more  permitted  to  doubt  it  than  we  are  to  doubt 

^Matt.  xxvi.  64.  *  Matt.  xxvi.  63. 


178  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  fact  that  he  is  the  Messiah,  and  has  come 
into  the  world  once  to  suffer  for  our  sins.  The 
prophets,^  Jesus,*  the  apostles,^  all  classes  of 
God's  messengers,  have  a  word  concerning  this 
great  hope.  Such  a  glorious  manifestation  of 
Christ  is  required  for  a  true  rounding  out  of 
the  work  that  he  has  undertaken.  No  one  can 
doubt  that  before  all  is  done,  the  despised 
corner-stone  shall,  by  God's  almighty  arm,  be 
lifted  into  its  proper  place,^  and  that  men  shall 
see  it.''^ 

This  is  not  only  a  fact,  but  it  is  a  distinct 
fact,  and  must  not  be  confounded  with  any- 
thing else.  Some  are  accustomed  to  say  that 
death,  the  believers  going  to  Christ,  is  practi- 
cally the  same  for  each  man  as  the  coming  of 
Christ.  This  is  not  true.  Death  is  seeming 
defeat :  ^  the  coming  of  Christ  is  manifest  vic- 
tory.^ A  disembodied  spirit  is  not  the  same 
as  a  redeemed  man.^^  The  body  sown  in  weak- 
ness and  corruption  is  not  the  same  as  the  im- 
mortal, glorious  body  which  God  will  give.^^ 

•Dan.  vii.  13,  14;  Psa.  cxviii.  22,  23.        *  Matt.  xxfv.  30. 

■»  1  Thess.  iv.  16.  '  Matt.  xxi.  33-42.  '  Rev.  i.  7. 

•Luke  xxii.  53;  John  xxi.  18,  19.  "Matt.  xiii.  43. 

"Matt,  xxvii.  52,  53.  ''1  Cor.  xv.  42-44. 


The  Second  Coming.  179 

At  that  time  the  carnival  of  death  shall  cease  ;^^ 
the  grave  shall  disgorge  and  devour  no  more.^* 
A  part  of  God's  people  will  not  be  here,  and  a 
part  there,  but  ''one  flock"  shall  they  be,^*  and 
all  that  ofifend  shall  depart  from  among  them.^^ 
A  great  uniting  time,^^  and  a  great  separating 
time,^^  will  that  be.  And  the  King  shall  ''sit 
on  the  throne  of  his  glory,"  ^^  no  more  mis- 
understood or  despised,  but  come  into  his  own 
at  last,  vindicated  and  glorified.  However,  or 
for  how  long  his  power  and  his  grace  may 
show  themselves  in  the  meantime,  there  shall 
come  to  him  on  that  day  his  own  proper  station, 
and  to  men,  the  going  away  into  "eternal  pun- 
ishment," or  into  the  "life  eternal."  ^^ 

While  Jesus  believed  in  his  return,  and 
promised  his  return,  and  counted  it  a  time  of 
great  glory  to  him  and  to  his  church,  no  one 
can  read  his  confession  before  Caiaphas  with- 
out feeling  that  in  his  assertion  of  a  glorious 
vindication  there  is  contained  a  warning  to  that 
wricked  man.  "I  adjure  thee  by  the  living  God, 
that  thou  tell  us  whether  thou  art  the  Christ, 

^=^1    Cor.   XV.    54.                    "John  v.    28,    29. 

"John  X.   16;    xvii.   20-24.  ^^  Matt.  xif.  41. 

^'Matt.  XXV.  34.         "Matt.  xxv.  41.  '» Matt.  xxv.  31. 

"Matt.  xxv.  46. 


i8o  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

the  Son  of  God.  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Thou 
hast  said ;  nevertheless,  I  say  unto  you.  Hence- 
forth ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  at  the 
right  hand  of  Power,  and  coming  in  the  clouds 
of  heaven."  ^^  In  view  of  that  coming  day, 
greatly  to  be  pitied  is  the  man  who  now  thinks 
too  little  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus  is  coming 
again  with  great  power  and  glory. 

II.  The  time  undefined  to  all  but  God.  The 
angels  did  not  know  it ;  ^^  Jesus  as  a  man  did 
not  know  it."^  Why,  then,  will  those  who  are 
men  and  nothing  more  insist  on  finding  out? 
The  matter  is  purposely  hid  from  us.^^  Even 
the  things  which  are  spoken  of  as  coming  to 
pass  beforehand  are  of  such  indefinite  outline 
that  they  serve  us  not  in  fixing  a  date.  Is  it 
said  that  the  gospel  must  first  be  published 
among  all  nations  ?  ^3  Who  can  use  this  as  a 
measure?  Has  it  already  been  published  in 
the  sense  of  the  prophecy  or  not?  Does  any 
one  know?  Or  the  ''times  of  the  gentiles,"  ^4 
or  the  people  of  Jerusalem  changing  their 
view,25  —  who    can    say    what    these    things 

<*  Matt.  xxvi.  63,  64.  "  j^att.  xxiv.  36.  "  ^^.^g  j   7^ 

'"  Matt.  xxiv.  14.  ^  Luke  xxi.  24. 

^=Luke  xiii.  34,  35;  xvii.  22. 


The  Second  Coming.  i8i 

mean?  The  time  is  as  indefinite  to  us  as  the 
time  of  our  death  is ;  not  certainly  far  off,  and 
not  certainl}^  near.  Jesus  spoke  against  two 
errors. 

1 .  No  one  was  to  fix  a  near  date,  saying  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  would  "immediately  ap- 
pear," ^^  and  on  that  account  cease  to  work. 
There  is  time  enough  for  the  accomplishment 
of  great  things;  time  enough  to  do  what  he 
has  given  you  to  do.^"^  You  do  not  know  when 
he  is  to  come,  therefore,  so  far  from  pausing, 
work  the  harder,  that  he  may  find  you  faith- 
ful.^^  Keep  the  sinews  of  your  endeavor  tense. 
"Let  your  loins  be  girded  about  and  your  lamps 
burning."  ^^  You  know  not  the  time.  He 
comes  like  the  lightning's  flash.^^  Work  on  — 
publish  forth  his  love,  that  the  men  in  darkness 
may  see  the  sunlight  ^^  before  they  see  the 
lightning.^^ 

2.  No  one  is  to  fix  a  date  in  the  far  distance 
and  say,  "My  Lord  delayeth  his  coming."  ^^ 
Is  not  this  the  sin  of  the  church's  present  atti- 
tude toward  this  great  matter?     You  do  not 

^  Matt.  xix.  11.      "  Matt.  xix.  12-26.      ="  Luke  xii.  35-40. 
2»  Matt.  xxiv.  27.       ^  Matt.  v.  14.  16.       *'  Matt.  xxiv.  27. 
'-Luke  xfi.  45. 


i82  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

know,  therefore,  ''what  I  say  unto  you  I  say 
unto  all,  Watchr  ^^  The  fact  that  the  ten 
virgins  did  not  know  the  time  was  no  reason 
for  sleeping.  It  was  a  reason  for  watching.^* 
The  thief  is  coming,  you  do  not  know  the  time, 
therefore  go  to  sleep  ?  No ;  therefore.  Watch, 
says  Christ.^^  Jesus  gives  absolutely  no  war- 
rant for  casting  the  great  thought  out  of  our 
minds,  under  the  impression  that  his  coming 
is  yet  a  great  way  off.  No  one  has  a  right  to 
plan  for  one  evil  thing,  believing  that  he  will 
have  time  to  finish  it  before  his  Lord  returns,^^ 
and  no  one  has  a  right  to  cease  any  work  of 
service  because  he  believes  his  Lord  will  not 
give  him  time  to  finish.^ ^  You  know  not  the 
time,  therefore  labor  on;  you  know  not  the 
time,  therefore  watch. 

in.  How  will  he  come?  In  spite  of  the 
warnings  Jesus  had  given,  he  believed  that  his 
actual  coming  would  take  men  by  surprise.  As 
an  animal  walking  along  an  accustomed  path 
and  suddenly  striking  a  trap-stick,  so  will  his 
coming  be,^^  or  like  men  engaged  in  ordinary 

^^  Mark  xiii.  37.  ^*  Matt.  xxv.  1-13.  »^  Matt.  xxiv.  42-44. 
^«Luke  xii.  45,  46.    ^^  Luke  xii.  35-S8.    ^«  Luke  xxi.  34,  35. 


The  Second  Coming.  183 

business  when  the  flood  came  and  took  them 
all  away ;  ^^  or  like  the  men  of  Sodom  on  that 
awful  night,  when  Lot  fled,  and  the  fire  fell 
upon  them.'^^ 

Men  have  put  the  day  a  long  way  oflF,  and 
are  like  cattle  grazing  upon  the  earth,  with 
their  gaze  downward.  If  they  would  only 
prayerfully  watch,  they  would  not  at  sight  of 
him  flee  away  startled  and  surprised,*^  but 
would  be  able  to  meet  him  with  a  calm  courage. 
*'Watch  ye  at  every  season,  making  supplica- 
tion, that  ye  may  prevail  to  escape  all  these 
things  that  shall  come  to  pass,  and  to  stand 
before  the  Son  of  man."  ^^  He  will  come  unex- 
pectedly,^^ and  he  will  come  suddenly ;  ^^  the 
warnings  are  given.  The  cloud  may  be  a  long 
time  rising,  but  the  lightning  flash  is  a  sudden 
thing.  His  coming  will  also  be  manifest  and 
unmistakable.^^  The  Son  of  man  on  the  clouds 
of  heaven  will  ht  a  sight  which  friends  and 
enemies  alike  shall  see  ^^  —  an  event  alone  in 
the  experience  of  the  race,  the  beginning  of  the 
culmination  of  all  hope,  and  of  all  fear.     ''Be- 

'"  Matt.  xxiv.  37-40.  *°  Luke  xvii.  28-30. 

"Luke  xxiil.  30;  Rev.  vi.  16.  '^  Luke  xxi.  36. 

*^  Luke  xxi.  34,  35.        *'  Matt.  xxiv.  26,  27.        *=  Rev.  i.  7. 


184  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

fore  him  shall  be  gathered  all  the  nations ;  and 
he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as 
a  shepherd  separated!  the  sheep  from  the 
goats."  *^ 

IV.  What  did  Jesus  believe  to  be  the  proper 
attitude  of  his  people  toward  that  great  day? 
He  speaks  of  urgent  labor,  that  we  be  not  un- 
prepared, as  one  who  is  overtaken  with  his  task 
half  done,*"^  and  of  never  sleeping  watchful- 
ness, that  we  be  not  surprised,  and  fear  come 
to  us  instead  of  joy.*^  But,  besides  all  this, 
that  great  day  of  the  Lord's  return  should  be 
looked  for  with  a  great  longing  in  the  soul. 
It  is  the  day  when  all  our  expectations  for  our 
friends,  for  ourselves,  for  Jesus,  shall  ripen 
into  fruit;  a  day  when  the  grave  shall  give 
back  to  us  the  glorified  forms  of  those  we 
love,^^  a  day  when  we,  too,  shall  be  changed,*^^ 
and,  above  all,  a  day  when  the  great  joy  of 
seeing  Jesus  crowned  before  the  world  shall  fill 
the  heart.^^  What  comes  to  me  will  give  not 
half  so  much  of  joy  as  shall  spring  from  seeing 
what  shall  come  to  him.^^     His  followers  will 

«  Matt.  XXV.  32,    "  Luke  xii.  35-40.    "  Matt.  xxiv.  45-51. 

*»1  Thess.  iv.  14-17.  ^1  Gor.  xv.  50,  52. 

"  Matt.  XXV.  31.  "  Rev.  v.  9-12. 


The  Second  Coming.  185 

no  longer  keep  back  the  love  that  is  his  due, 
and  his  enemies  will  despise  him  no  more.  A 
new  wife,  with  the  Bridegroom  snatched  away, 
and  she  left  in  poverty  and  reproach,  herself 
despised,  and  reproaches  heaped  on  him,  might 
long  for  the  time  w^hen  her  man  shall  return 
to  vindicate  himself  before  the  world,  and  to 
change  her  lonely  misery  into  wifely  joy,  but 
she  has  no  more  cause  to  hope  for  such  a  day 
than  has  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  in  the 
world.  The  coming  of  Jesus  brings  to  that 
kingdom  the  end  of  all  misery,  and  the  fulness 
of  all  joy.^^  In  suffering,  in  reproach,  in  dark- 
ness, in  death,  she  remembers  his  loving 
promise,  *'I  will  see  you  again,"  ^*  and  though 
her  strength  be  almost  gone,  yet  turns  she  her 
face  yonderward,  and  cries,  "Amen!  come, 
Lord  Jesus."  ^^ 

"Matt.  xiii.  43.  "John  xvi.  22.  «  Rev.  xxii.  20. 


XIII. 
The  Final  Glory. 

"And  now,  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own 
self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the 
world  was." — John  xvii.  5. 

"Father,  I  desire  that  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given 
me  be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my 
glory,  which  thou  hast  given  me." — John  xvii.  24. 

"I  ascend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Father,  and  my 
God  and  your  God." — John  xx.  17. 

TT  T'E  have  no  source  of  information  on  this 
^  ^  '■  topic,  except  the  revelation  of  God,  and 
his  revelation  is  by  no  means  complete.  For 
just  as  we  have  conceptions  which  it  is  impos- 
sible to  express  in  the  language  of  a  Hottentot, 
so  God  has  thoug'hts  so  great  that  human  lan- 
guage can  furnish  no  suitable  vehicle  for  their 
expression.  He  has  other  thoughts  which  may- 
be expressed  truly,  but  inadequately,  in  the 
words  which  men  have  used.  He  who  studies 
a  word  of  this  latter  class  will  find  that  as  he 
learns  more  the  word  can  be  made  to  hold 


The  Final  Glory.  187 

more,  and  all  of  God's  meaning,  which  the 
original  scope  of  the  word  could  not  embrace, 
must  be  packed  into  it  by  future  use.  Joy 
means  one  thing  to  the  ignorant  savage;  the 
same  word  means  much  more  to  the  educated 
Christian,  and  more  still  will  it  mean  to  the 
believer  who  is  permitted  to  enter  into  the  joy 
of  his  Lord.  Any  one,  then,  who  endeavors 
to  speak  of  those  things  which  have  been  told 
us  of  the  final  glory  is  in  danger  of  appearing 
both  low  and  weak  in  the  eyes  of  those  who 
to-morrow  shall  know  more.  A  true  concep- 
tion of  what  our  Saviour  believed  is  all  that 
we  hope  for  now.  The  conception  will  be 
fuller  when  we  have  lived  with  him  longer. 

Certainly  Jesus  did  not  believe  this  life  to  be 
the  end  of  things  for  him.  He  was  a  believer 
in  immortality,^  and  concerning  himself  — 

I.  He  believed  that  he  would  be  restored  to 
his  original  station.  Whatever  of  power  and 
authority  and  glory  belonged  to  him  in  the 
time  before  he  came  forth  from  the  Father 
would  come  to  him  again.^  His  manhood 
would  not  interfere  with  this  culmination;   he, 

^John  xvi.  28.  ^  John  xvii.  5. 


1 88  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

a  man,  would  come  into  his  glory.  What  he 
had  done  in  this  stage  of  his  being,  so  far  from 
detracting  from  his  honor,  would  in  some  defi- 
nite points  add  glory  to  the  ways  in  which  he 
would  manifest  himself.^  How  can  we  know 
what  station  is  worthy  of  him  until  we  know 
what  station  is  worthy  of  God  ?  *  Once  two 
men  appeared  in  glory  upon  the  mountain  top,^ 
and  Jesus  left  the  form  in  which  it  was  proper 
to  converse  with  common  men,  and  took  upon 
him  a  form  in  which  it  was  proper  to  converse 
with  them.  This  sight  overwhelmed  those  who 
witnessesed  it;  but  God  was  still  above  the 
cloud,^  and  Jesus  is  not  to  stop  until  he  takes 
on  him  the  very  glory  of  the  eternal  God.  'T 
ascend  to  my  God  and  your  God."  '^  He  shall 
be  seated  on  the  right  hand  of  that  infinite 
Being.^  We  do  not  know  how  great  God's 
power  and  glory  are,  but  we  do  know  that  this 
station  of  Jesus  is  the  highest  station  there  is. 
The  second  coming  of  Jesus  is  no  sudden,  tem- 
porary, blazing  forth  of  his  glory;  it  is  the 
beginning  of  a  manifestation  that  shall  last.® 

'John  V.  27.  *John  v.  23.  "^  Matt.  xvii.  1-8. 

^  Matt.  xvfi.  5.  ^  John  xx.  17.  » Matt.  xxvi.  64. 

•Rev.  xi.  15. 


The  Final  Glory.  189 

11.  Jesus  believed  that  his  people  would 
reach  the  place  to  which  he  has  gone.  They, 
heing  raised  from  the  dead,^^  purged  of  all 
evil/^  and  leaving  behind  those  relations  of  life 
which  have  their  use  only  in  this  world/^  shall 
also  ascend  unto  God  and  see  the  glory  which 
he  has  given  to  his  Son.^^  All  believers  shall 
be  there,  without  the  loss  of  even  one.^*  God's 
original  plan  shall  be  accomplished  for  each.^^ 
'They  shall  see  God.^^  They  shall  ''shine  forth 
as  the  sun."  ^"^ 

Of  the  glory  of  the  place  we  can  say  but 
little  other  than  that  it  is  worthy  of  God.  The 
material  figures  used  in  The  Revelation  —  for 
that  book  is  the  revelation  of  Jesus  concerning 
these  things  —  show  us  the  costliest  things  that 
we  know  put  to  very  common  uses.  Pearls  are 
put  instead  of  wood  for  city  gates,  and  gold 
instead  of  stones  for  paving  the  streets.^  ^  How 
can  we  know  anything  of  what  is  worthy  for 
the  nobler  uses  in  that  beautiful  home?  But 
these  things  are  not  intended  to  hold  our  at- 
tention.   God  and  the  Lamb  are  the  crown  and 

'^"John  xi.  25.  "Matt.  xili.  41.  "Matt.  xxii.  30. 

"John  xvii.  24.        "John  xvii.  11,  12.        "Matt.  xx.  23. 
"Matt.  V.  8.  "Matt.  xiii.  43.  "Rev.  xxi.  21. 


190  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

centre  of  all  glory  to  the  believer.^^  That  would 
be  a  strange  wife  who  thought  more  of  a  costly 
suit  of  furniture  than  she  did  of  her  husband; 
and  in  heaven  there  is  one  Being  whose  absence 
would  cause  the  light  to  go  out  of  every  man- 
sion and  every  heart.  "And  if  I  go  and  pre- 
pare a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again,  and 
will  receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I 
am,  there  ye  may  be  also."  ^^ 

As  far  as  we  can  see,  the  most  comprehen- 
sive term  which  Jesus  uses  to  describe  the  sum 
of  what  he  brings  to  men,  or  the  sum  of  that 
into  which  men  enter  by  him,  is  eternal  life. 
This  is  by  no  means  intended  as  merely  adding 
an  element  of  endlessness  to  the  life  which  men 
already  have;  all  men  are  in  this  sense  im- 
mortal.^^  "Eternal  life,"  as  Jesus  used  the 
term,  describes  something  which  is  entirely 
absent  from  men,  except  as  they  have  Jesus 
Christ.^2  Men  enter  into  it.^^  He  is  the  life,^* 
and  having  him,  men  have  the  life  even  now.^' 
God  gives  it,^^  and  God  gave  his  Son  that  men 
might  have  it.^^    The  expression  is  used  inter- 

'»  Rev.  xxi.  22,  23.  ="*  John  xiv.  3.  ^'  Matt.  xxv.  46. 
^  John  vi.  53,  54.  '^  Matt.  xix.  17.  "  John  xfv.  6. 

=«  John  vi.  47.        ^s  j^jj^  v.  26;  xvii.  2.        ^t  j^j^^^  jjj^  ^g^ 


The  Final  Glory.  191 

changeably  with  the  words  "kingdom  of 
God,"  ^*  and  the  final  joy  of  the  redeemed  is 
described  as  "going  away  into  eternal  life."  ^^ 
In  another  passage  it  sums  up  what  God  has 
to  give  in  the  world  to  come  to  all  who  love 
him.2^  Add  together  the  chief  thing  that  Jesus 
brings  to  men  in  this  world,  and  the  crown  of 
all  gifts  in  the  world  to  come,  and  that  supreme 
joy  or  glory,  as  you  please  to  view  it,  is  eter- 
nal LIFE.^^ 

But  what  is  eternal  life?  We  cannot  rest, 
like  children,  in  learning  the  name  by  rote. 
Can  any  one  tell  us  what  eternal  life  is  ?  Jesus 
seems  purposely  to  have  given  a  definition: 
''This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  should  know 
thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  him  whom  thou 
didst  send,  even  Jesus  Christ."  ^^  But  even  in 
the  presence  of  this  definition  we  are  at  a  stand, 
for  certainly  this  can  be  no  common  form  of 
knowledge.  The  object  of  knowledge  is 
clearly  stated  —  God,  and  Jesus,  and  his 
coming.^^  And  thus,  even  for  the  thing 
to  be  known,  men  are  absolutely  dependent 
upon   Jesus.^2      But   there   is   also   a   strange 

"  Mark  ix.  43,  47.  "  Matt.  xxi.  46.  ^'  Mark  x.  30. 

*>  John  iii.  15,  16.  "^  John  xvii.  3.  ^'  Matt.  xi.  27. 


192  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

method  of  knowing  which  we  must  learn.  It 
is  not  after  the  fashion  that  one  might  know 
a  common  fact,  but  it  is  an  opening  of  the  mind 
and  soul  to  receive  and  to  digest,  not  only  the 
truth  concerning  God,  but  God  himself.^^  Out 
of  this  sort  of  knowing  spiritual  life  springs, 
and  growth,  and  glory.  The  water  of  life,^* 
the  bread  of  life,^'  whether  in  Jesus,  or  as  pro- 
ceeding out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the 
LamlD,^^  must  be  drunk,  must  be  eaten.  ''Ex- 
cept ye  eat  ye  have  not  life."  ^''^  What  can 
these  figures  mean,  unless  he  intends  to  show 
that  just  as  bread  and  water  are  related  to  the 
life  and  sustenance  of  the  body,  so  he  is  related 
to  the  life  and  sustenance  of  the  soul?  Such 
knowledge  of  him  here  is  eternal  life.^^  Such 
increase  of  this  knowledge  as  shall  come  with 
the  perfect  vision  is  eternal  life  above.^^ 

The  glory  of  heaven,  then,  is  a  personal  rela- 
tion of  the  soul  with  God  and  Jesus.  All  other 
glory  is  but  the  bringing  of  all  the  accompani- 
ments of  life  into  harmony  with  that  great  fact. 
"I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you."     Where  is 

"Comp.  John  vi.  52-58;  xvii.  3.  "John  fv.  14. 

"John  vi.  51.  »« Rev.  xxii.  1.  "John  vi.  53. 

««John  X.  27.  28.  »»John  xvii.  24. 


The  Final  Glory.  193 

it,  Lord?  "Ye  know  whither.  I  go  to  the 
Father."  Which  way  is  it,  and  how  shall  we 
reach  it?  "I  am  the  way  and  the  truth  and  the 
life."  *^  He  who  has  Jesus  has  God,  and  has 
all  the  rest.'*^  The  rewards,  and  the  recom- 
pense that  are  promised  in  return  for  suffering 
and  for  service  here  seem  not  to  be  material 
things.  He  who  gives  a  dollar  is  not  promised 
a  hundred  dollars  on  the  other  side,  or  any 
treasures  of  a  similar  kind.  ''He  shall  receive 
a  hundredfold  now  in  this  time;  and  in  the 
loorld  to  come  eternal  life."  ^^  It  is  not 
those  who  give  the  greatest  sums  in  this  world 
that  always  have  the  largest  inheritance  in 
heaven.^^  We  simply  go  out  into  the  service 
of  Jesus,  and  he  who  serves  in  such  a  way  as 
to  learn  more  of  the  Spirit  of  Jesus,  and  loves 
in  such  a  way  as  more  nearly  to  fill  his  heart 
v/ith  the  person  of  Jesus,  is  rich  toward  God.*^ 
God  has  a  thousand  loving  ways  in  which  to 
pay  a  loving  heart,  for  it  is  love,  not  pay,  that 
the  loving  heart  really  seeks.  Where  Jesus  is, 
is  heaven,  and  the  knowledge  and  love  of  Jesus 
make  all  the  rewards  of  heaven.^^ 

*>  John  xiv.  1-7.  **  John  xiv.  8-10.  «  Mark  x.  30. 

^3  Mark  xii.  41-44.  **  Mark  xix.  21;  Luke  xii.  33. 


194  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

This  gives  us  a  fresh  view  of  a  very  familiar 
saying :  "I  am  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the 
first  and  the  last."  ^'  When  man  from  his 
present  station  begins  to  think  back  through 
effect  to  cause  till  the  first  great  cause  is 
reached,  the  mind  rests  not  until  it  finds  God, 
the  first  cause  —  the  first  letter  in  the  alphabet 
of  existence.  And  then  when  Jesus  comes  to 
the  task  of  showing  us  the  thitherward  end 
of  human  destiny,  he  lifts  this  veil  and  that, 
and,  as  the  last  goal  of  human  thought  and 
desire,  names  God,  the  Omega,  the  last  letter 
of  all  our  spelling.  Fly  onward,  O  my  soul! 
And  gathering  strength  through  all  thy  onward 
flight,  fly  onward  still.  Know  God,  and  know- 
ing him,  live. 

Religion  is  personal  union  with  God,  and  the 
perfected  fruit  of  aill  religion  is  when  the  pure 
in  heart  shall  see  God.^^  'T  would  see  Jesus  ;'* 
what  care  I  for  the  pearly  gates,  and  the  golden 
streets,  except  as  for  things  which  he  has 
made?  Jesus  holds  my  heart.  From  seeing 
and  knowing  him  spring  eternal  life  and  eternal 
joy. 

"Rev.  xxii.  13.  *•  Matt.  v.   8. 


The  Final  Glory.  195 

'The  bride  eyes  not  her  garment. 

But  her  dear  bridegroom's  face; 
I  will  not  gaze  at  glory, 

But  on  my  King  of  grace ; 
Not  at  the  crown  he  giveth, 

But  on  his  pierced  hand ; 
The  Lamb  is  all  the  glory 

Of  Emmanuel's  land." 


INDEX. 


INDEX. 

Page. 

Alexander, 18 

Alpha  and  Omega,   194 

Anaconda, 13 

Annihilation,    , 80 

Babylon, 42 

Bacon,    12 

Baptismal    Formula,    155 

Bartimseus,    126 

Being,  three  stages  of, 170 

Believer's  death,    172-174 

Believers,  growth  of,   138 

Bible  of  Christ,   27 

Book,  possible  for  God  of  nature  to  make, 12 

Brazen  serpent,   113 

Caesar,  Julius,    16-18 

Caesar   ( Nero,  Paul  before ) ,  56 

Caiaphas,     179 

Character,  9 

China,    42 

Chkist,  at  tomb  of  Lazarus,  54;  believes  in  himself, 
93;  Christ-Spirit,  148;  compassion  of,  150;  creed 
of,  why  study,  14;  death  of,  101;  devotion  to  the 
Scriptures,  27,  38;  divine,  94;  essential  to  men, 
107;  final  glory  of,  186;  himself,  92-108;  life,  99; 
message,  98;  Mes-siah,  95;  method  of  work,  17; 
not  civil  judge,  144;  opposed  to  Satan,  64;  person 
and  character,  17;  preacher's  repentance,  71;  pre- 
existent,   167,   173;    ransom,   106;    second  coming, 


200  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

Pagh. 
176;  source  of  light  and  blessing,  15;  strong,  79; 
sympathy  of,  66;  temptation,  64;  transfiguration, 

105,   188 ;   wonderful,    17 

Christian  countries  progressive, 19 

Christian  Scientist, 70 

Cleopatra,   16 

Comparative  study  of  religions, 42 

Conditional  immortality, 81 

Confucius   cited, 55 

Consecration,    128 

Cornelius,    .  •. 163 

Creeds,    9-10 

Creed  of  Christ  important, 14 

Croesus,    18 

David,    33 

Death,    167-175 

Death,  believers,  172;  effects  not  permanent,  174; 
Jesus  not  afraid  of,  169;  names  for,  169;  no  sus- 
pension of  being, 170 

Deeper  meaning  of  Scripture, 28 

Disciples,  ignorance  of, 29 

Doom,  79;  three  elements  in,  82;  fixed,  85;  judicial 

sentence,  83 ;  loss,  82 ;  naturg^l  consequences, 83 

Druids, 16 

Egypt,    16 

Elijah,   : 105 

Elisha,  prayer  of,   56 

Eternal  life,  190;  consists  in  knowledge  of  God, 191 

Evolution,  45 

Family,  from  God,   135 

Fatherhood  of  God, 115-122 

Final  Glory,  The, 186-195 

Believers  with   Christ  in,    189;    like  h'm   original 

station,  187  ;  not  fully  revealed, 186 

Formalists,   30 


Index.  201 

Pagh. 

Free  men,  believers  must  be,  141 

Gadarene  country, 137 

Gaul, 16 

Geologist,    11 

Germany, 19 

Gethsemane,  garden  of, 52 

Gibbons  cited,    15 

Gideon,  battle  cry,   65 

God,    44-57 

Attributes  of,  44-45;  concerned  about  Jesus,  49; 

near,  45-52 ;  ruler  and  inspector  of  the  world,  47 ; 

special  manifestation  of,  54 ;  source  of  comfort,  53 ; 

of  strength,    56 

Gospels  assumed  to  be  true, 11 

Goths,    18 

Grave,  the,   174 

Greece, 15 

Greek,  three  words  for  life,  104 

Growth  of  believers, 138 

Hall  of  Fame,   132 

Herod  the  Great,    16 

Herod  Antipas,    53 

Herodias,     72 

Higher  criticism, 45 

Himself, 92-108 

Holy  Spirit,   152-166 

Characteristic  work  of,  165;  a  divine  person,  154; 

indwelling,  how  known,  165;   in  The  Acts,   162 

not  to  be  divided,  159;  power  of,  161;  receiving  of, 

158 ;   work  of,    155 

HojVie-going,  The, 167-175 

Hottentot,   186 

Human  Mind  in  Religious  Study, 11-13 

Ideal  life  in  the  Scriptures, 38,  41 

Immortality,     29-187 


202  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

Page. 

Inconsistency  of  scientists,  12 

India,     42 

Intimacies  of  life,  135 

Isaiah, 34,  105 

James,    44 

Jerusalem,   40,  102 

John  the  Apostle, 72,  88,  143 

John  the  Baptist, 97 

Jonah,  91,  156 

Jordan,  152,  156 

Judas,   72,  88 

Jude,    53 

Judea,    16 

Judgment  day, 84 

Judicial  sentence  against  sin, 83 

Kingdom,  The,    122-133 

Characteristics  of  members,  126;  defined,  122; 
entrance  to,  125;  highest  place  in,  131;  members 
genuine,  126;  near,  124;  one  in  all  stages,  132; 
relation  of  subject  and  king,  129;  relation  of  mem- 
bers to  each  other,   130 

Kingdom  in  the  World, 134-151 

Members  of,  forgiving,  149;  independent,  149; 
separate  from  the  world,  135;  sphere  of,  144-146; 

unworldly,     146 

King,  democratic,   129 

Knowledge  and  faith, 109 

Knowledge,  sources  of,    25 

Laocoon,    13 

Last  Supper,  102,  106 

Lazarus, 54 

Levi,     143 

Life  and  death,   113 

Life,  three  words  for,   104 

Lot, 183 


Index.  203 

Page. 

Loyalty  to  Christ, 144 

Mary,  72 

Martha, 172 

Martyrs, 56 

Men  in  darkness,  72 ;  sinners,  71 

Messiah,  95;   death  of,   101;    life,  99;   message,  98; 

three  duties  of, 97 

Messiah  conception,  the,   39 

Mind  in  religious  study,  11 

Miracles  of  Old  Testament, 32 

Missionary, 77 

Mohammedans,     19 

Moralist  defined,  44 

Moral  law,   32 

Moses, 17,  33,  39,  40,  105,  123 

Mtesa,    20 

Napoleon  cited,   17 

Natural  consequence  of  sin,  83 

Natural  scientist,   70 

Nature  and  Scripture  one  author, 26 

Nazareth,    39 

New  birth,    112 

New  revelation, 69 

New  status,   115 

Nicodemus,    73 

No  revelation,    69 

Old  status,   114 

Old  Testament, 27 

Paraclete,    157 

Paschal  supper,   106 

Paul  cited,  25;  confidence  of,  56;  preaching  of, 163 

Penalty,  85;  eternal,  87;  fixed,  85;  terrible, 86 

Peter  a  householder,  143;  preaching  of,  163;  rebuked,  102 

Physical  science, 45 

Pilate, 53,  145 


204  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

Pagb. 

Possession  no  sin, 143 

Power  of  Holy  Spirit, 161 

Prayer,  Christ  enjoins,    54 

Prayers  of  Jesus,  51 

Preaching,     163 

Pressens^  cited,  92 

Providence,  particular,    48 

Psalms,    39 

Punishment  for  Sin,  78-91 

Grounds   of,    87;    guesses    concerning,    four,    79; 

Jesus  speaks  much  concerning, 90 

Question,  a  pleasing  one, 20 

Ransom,     106 

Rationalists,     31 

Redeemed  Men,    109-121 

God's  gifts  to,  priceless,  116;  guarantees  for  the 

future,  117;  have  experienced  a  great  change.  111; 

increasing  riches,  118;  insured  against  loss,  117; 

loved   of   God,    110,    119;    new    status,    115;    old 

status,  114;  relation  to  property,  141;  stars,  .  . .  .121 

Reformation,  the,    19 

Reformers,   56 

Religious  knowledge,  three  sources  of, 25 

Repent,   33,71 

Retribution,    87 

Restorationism,    79 

Resurrection,  172,  174 

Rewards  of  heaven,    193 

Richter  cited,    17 

Rome,   15,  18 

Saints,  Romish,   19 

Samaria,  woman  of,  97 

Sanctification,    , 118 

Satan, 58-67 

Authority  and  power  of,  61;   Christ  opposed  to, 


Index.  205 

Pagk. 
64;    enemy    of    Christ,    58;    evil,    61;    hateful    to 
Christ,  65;   not  to  be  ridiculed,   59;    opposed  to 
Christ,  62;  personality  of,  60;  to  be  hated  by  men, 

67 ;  to  be  overthrown, 63 

Schiller  cited, 78 

Scholium  on  Old  Testament, 42 

Scientists  inconsistent, 12 

Scotland,   16 

Scriptures,  The,    25-43 

Authority  of,  30 ;  deeper  meaning,  28 ;  foundation 
of  teaching,  35 ;  ideal  life  in,  38 ;  integrity  of,  33 ; 
Jesus  loved,  38 ;  men  too  may  love,  41 ;  rule  of  life, 

36 ;  sufficiency  of,  32 ;  without  error, 34 

Sea  captain,  137 

Second  Coming,  The,  176-185 

A  fact,  177;  not  certainly  far  away,  181;  not  cer- 
tainly near,  181;  not  same  as  death,  178;  sudden 
and  unexpected,  182;  time  undefined,  180;  to  be 

longed  for,    184 

Shanghai,    137 

Silk-worm,  deceased, 69 

Sin, 68-77 

Deceives,  69;  is  personal,  74;  not  in  body  only,  74; 

not  mere  absence  of  good, 75 

Sinless  perfection, .119 

Sinners,  men  are, 71,  77 

Sodom,  183 

Solomon,    91 

Stanley,  Henry  M., 20 

State,  from  God, 135 

Synagogue  schools,   27 

Theism,    85 

Thief  on  cross, 168 

Third  day,   172,  174 

Trade  not  morally  elevating, 19 


2o6  The  Creed  of  Christ. 

Paoh. 

Tradition,    30 

Transfiguration, 105-188 

Truth  not  all  discovered  yet,  13 

Truth  to  be  vindicated, 88 

uifiias,   la 

Universal  ism, 79 

Unprejudiced  study  commended,  13 

Unworldliness,   127 

Unworthy  means  of  winning  men, 146 

Vandals,    18 

Why  Study  the  Creed  of  Christ, 14-21 

World,  dark  when  Christ  came,  15;  hostile  to  the 
kingdom,    137;    inclement,    136;    meaning    of    in 

speech  of  Jesus,  72;  to  be  won  by  believers, 139 

Yokohama,    137 


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